In my recent project, I delved into the intricate workings of the Windows loader, specifically focusing on manual mapping techniques. The Windows loader plays a crucial role in loading executables into memory, but I wanted to explore an alternative approach by manually mapping an executable. By meticulously studying the Windows PE file format, memory management, and dynamic linking, I successfully implemented a manual mapping mechanism. This technique allowed me to load an executable into a target process without relying on the default Windows loader. I meticulously handled steps such as loading the executable, resolving imports, allocating memory, copying dependencies, resolving function addresses, and setting the entry point. The project required careful consideration of the Windows internals and extensive testing to ensure compatibility and proper execution across different executable files and Windows versions. Through this project, I gained a deep understanding of the inner workings of the Windows loader and enhanced my expertise in low-level programming and software execution.
