Tracing API & System Calls at Runtime
Observe a program's interaction with the OS using API hooks and syscall tracers, complementing breakpoint-based debugging with behavioral visibility.
Watching the Boundary
You can set breakpoints, step through code, and inspect memory and registers. Sometimes the fastest insight comes from watching where a program talks to the operating system.
Every meaningful action (open a file, send a packet) crosses the user/kernel boundary as a system call.
API Calls vs System Calls
An API call is a library function like fopen or CreateFileW. Underneath, it eventually issues a system call into the kernel.
Tracing either layer reveals behavior without reading every instruction.
All lessons in this course
- Debugger Essentials (GDB, WinDbg)
- Setting Breakpoints and Stepping
- Memory and Register Examination
- Tracing API & System Calls at Runtime