Building a Reflective DLL Loader in C++

This course provides an in-depth exploration of reflective loading techniques in C++ from the perspective of Windows internals, reverse engineering, and defensive cybersecurity research. Participants will examine how executable modules can be loaded and executed directly from memory without relying on the operating system's standard loader, while developing a strong understanding of the underlying mechanisms that make these techniques possible. The course covers key concepts including the Portable Executable (PE) format, process memory layout, relocations, import resolution, memory protection, and relevant Windows APIs.

Through guided demonstrations, code analysis, and hands-on laboratory exercises in an isolated environment, learners will study how reflective loading implementations function and how these behaviors appear during malware analysis and incident response. Equal emphasis is placed on recognizing indicators of in-memory execution, understanding how modern security products detect such techniques, and applying defensive methods for investigation and threat hunting.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to explain the architecture of reflective loading, analyze implementations using debugging and reverse engineering tools, identify forensic artifacts associated with memory-resident code, and strengthen their ability to detect, analyze, and respond to sophisticated threats while adhering to ethical, legal, and responsible security research practices.

This course is aimed at Penetration testers, red teamers, malware analysts, etc.