Process Hollowing, RunPE

Created the Monday 18 March 2019. Updated 5 months, 3 weeks ago.

Process hollowing is a technique used by malware to evade detection by injecting malicious code into a legitimate process. This technique involves creating a new instance of a legitimate process and replacing its original code with the malicious payload.

The process is the following:

  • CreateProcess: in a suspended mode with the CreationFlag at 0x0000 0004.
  • GetThreadContext: retrieves the context of the specified thread.
  • ZwUnmapViewOfSection: Unmaps a view of a section from the virtual address space of a subject process.
  • VirtualAllocEx: allocates memory within the suspended process’s address space.
  • WriteProcessMemory: writes data of the PE file into the memory just allocated within the suspended process.
  • SetThreadContext: sets the EAX register to the entry point of the executable written.
  • ResumeThread: resumes the thread of the suspended process.


Featured Windows API's

Below, you will find a list of the most commonly used Windows API's that are currently utilized by malware authors for current evasion technique. This list is meant to provide an overview of the API's that are commonly used for this purpose. If there are any API's that you feel should be included on this list, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to update the list and provide any additional information or documentation that may be helpful.

Code Snippets

Additional Resources

External Links

The resources provided below are associated links that will give you even more detailed information and research on current evasion technique. It is important to note that, while these resources may be helpful, it is important to exercise caution when following external links. As always, be careful when clicking on links from unknown sources, as they may lead to malicious content.


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