Course 25 - API Python Hacking | Episode 2: Foundations of Windows Internals and API Mechanisms

In this lesson, you’ll learn about:

Fundamentals of Windows Processes and Threads
- A process is a running program with its own virtual memory space
- Threads are units of execution inside processes, allocated CPU time to perform tasks
- Access tokens manage privileges and access rights; privileges can be enabled, disabled, or removed but cannot be added to an existing token
Key System Programming Terminology
- Handles: Objects that act as pointers to memory locations or system resources
- Structures: Memory formats used to store and pass data during API calls
Windows API Mechanics
- How applications interact with the OS via user space → kernel space transitions
- Anatomy of an API call, including parameters and naming conventions:
  - "A" → Unicode version
  - "W" → ANSI version
  - "EX" → Extended or newer version
Core Dynamically Linked Libraries (DLLs)
- kernel32.dll: Process and memory management
- user32.dll: Graphical interface and user interaction
- Researching functions using Windows documentation and tools like Dependency Walker to identify both documented and undocumented API calls
Key Outcome
- Understanding of how Windows manages processes, threads, and privileges, along with the workflow for interacting with the operating system through APIs and DLLs.

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