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PoolParty

// Thread Pool Injection Masterclass

8
Modules
C++
Language
x64
Architecture
3
Difficulty Tiers

8 novel process injection techniques abusing Windows Thread Pools. Demonstrated 100% bypass rate against 5 leading EDRs at Black Hat EU 2023. By SafeBreach Labs (Alon Leviev).

01 Beginner

Process Injection Landscape

Classic injection techniques, why they get detected, API call patterns EDRs monitor, and the motivation for thread pool abuse.

02 Beginner

Windows Thread Pool Architecture

TP_POOL, TP_WORK, TP_TIMER, TP_WAIT, TP_IO, worker threads, I/O completion ports, and the user-mode thread pool API.

03 Beginner

Thread Pool Internals

TppWorkerThread, work item lifecycle, how the kernel dispatches callbacks, worker factory objects, and TP_POOL deep dive.

04 Intermediate

Worker Factory & TP_WORK Variants

StartRoutine hijacking via NtSetInformationWorkerFactory and TP_WORK item insertion into the target pool’s task queue. Variants 1–2 of PoolParty.

05 Intermediate

Wait, I/O & ALPC Variants

TP_WAIT insertion with event signaling, TP_IO exploitation via NtSetIoCompletion, and TP_ALPC port abuse. Variants 3–5 of PoolParty.

06 Intermediate

Job & Direct Variants

TP_JOB insertion for job notification callback triggering and TP_DIRECT fast-path insertion via NtSetIoCompletionEx. Variants 6–7 of PoolParty.

07 Advanced

TP_TIMER Insertion

TP_TIMER item insertion into the target pool’s timer queue, TpSetTimer arming, and timer expiry callback dispatch. Variant 8 of PoolParty.

08 Advanced

Full Chain, Detection & Impact

All 8 variants summary, EDR bypass results, detection strategies, IOCP-based detection, and defensive recommendations.

References & Resources