DLL vs EXE | Windows DLL Hell | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Dynamic linking allows libraries to have their own memory space, but it can be exploited by malware authors using DLL injection.

Key Insights

• 🍻 Linking is a process that resolves references made within a program to external libraries, and it is the last stage of the compilation process.
• 🍻 Dynamic linking allows libraries to exist independently and share memory space, while static linking creates copies of functions within the executable code.
• 🕵️ DLL injection is a technique used by malware authors to inject a malicious DLL into a legitimate process, making it difficult to detect and trace the source of malicious activities.
• ❓ Task manager may not show malware processes if DLL injection is used, as the injected DLL is executed within a legitimate process.
• 💄 DLL injection can occur in any Windows process, making it a versatile technique for carrying out malicious activities.
• 👾 Dynamic linking provides efficiency and memory space savings, but it also introduces security vulnerabilities.
• 👯 Security in computer systems is a perpetual issue, as there will always be people willing to exploit vulnerabilities.

Transcript

hello and welcome to the PC security channel today we'll be talking about dynamic versus static linking some of the East security shortfalls of Windows the difference between DLL and executable files and why it is so to start with we need to know some basic stuff like what is a linker linking is a process where all of the references made within a p... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the difference between dynamic and static linking?

Dynamic linking allows libraries to have their own memory space, while static linking creates copies of referenced functions within the executable code itself.

Q: How can DLL injection be used by malware authors?

DLL injection allows malware authors to inject a malicious DLL into a legitimate process, making it difficult to detect and trace the source of malicious activities.

Q: Does task manager show malware processes if DLL injection is used?

No, if a malicious DLL is injected into a legitimate process, it will not be visible as a separate malware process in task manager.

Q: Why is dynamic linking preferred despite its security vulnerabilities?

Dynamic linking is more efficient and saves memory space, making it a preferred choice despite the security vulnerabilities associated with DLL injection.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Dynamic linking allows libraries to exist independently and saves memory space, while static linking creates copies of referenced functions within the executable code itself.

• Malware authors have been exploiting dynamic linking through DLL injection to carry out malicious activities without visible malware processes in memory.

• DLL injection can occur in any Windows process, making it difficult to detect and trace the source of malicious activities.