T1055

Linux macOS Windows
Process Injection

Description

Adversaries may inject code into processes in order to evade process-based defenses as well as possibly elevate privileges. Process injection is a method of executing arbitrary code in the address space of a separate live process.

Running code in the context of another process may allow access to the process's memory, system/network resources, and possibly elevated privileges. Execution via process injection may also evade detection from security products since the execution is masked under a legitimate process.

There are many different ways to inject code into a process, many of which abuse legitimate functionalities. These implementations exist for every major OS but are typically platform specific.

More sophisticated samples may perform multiple process injections to segment modules and further evade detection, utilizing named pipes or other inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms as a communication channel.

Sub-techniques

T1055.001 — Dynamic-link Library Injection T1055.002 — Portable Executable Injection T1055.003 — Thread Execution Hijacking T1055.004 — Asynchronous Procedure Call T1055.005 — Thread Local Storage T1055.008 — Ptrace System Calls T1055.009 — Proc Memory T1055.011 — Extra Window Memory Injection T1055.012 — Process Hollowing T1055.013 — Process Doppelgänging T1055.014 — VDSO Hijacking T1055.015 — ListPlanting