keylogger-architecture

Kernel driver hooks intercept system calls to capture keystrokes before they reach user-mode applications. Low-level keyloggers leverage this kernel-mode architecture to bypass user-mode restrictions and maintain stealth during input capture.

User-mode keylogger architectures operate in user space using APIs like SetWindowsHookEx, while kernel-mode approaches leverage driver hooks for stealth. Kernel-mode provides better EDR evasion but requires higher privileges for input capture.

Indicators of Compromise for SetWindowsHookEx and RegisterRawInputDevices include unauthorized hook registrations and suspicious raw input API calls. Analyzing these input capture methods reveals specific detection vectors for identifying active keylogger architectures.

ETW-based input capture uses Event Tracing for Windows to monitor keystrokes, providing a stealth mechanism for keylogger architectures. Researchers analyze this technique to understand EDR evasion and data exfiltration methods.

Low-level keyloggers use kernel driver hooks and ETW-based capture to evade EDR detection. These stealth techniques operate below standard user-mode monitoring, making input capture mechanisms harder to identify during malware architecture analysis.

Analyze kernel driver hooks during malware architecture analysis when investigating sophisticated keyloggers. Understanding these low-level input capture mechanisms helps identify EDR evasion techniques and develop effective detection strategies.