HydraHook

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DirectX API-hooking framework

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# <img src="assets/HydraHook_128x128.png" align="left" /> HydraHook

API-Hooking and rendering framework for DirectX-based games.

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## About

`HydraHook` consists of a self-contained library (DLL) which exposes a minimalistic API for rendering custom content in foreign processes eliminating the need for in-depth knowledge about Direct3D and API-hooking. The most common use-case might be drawing custom overlays on top of your games. The framework takes care about pesky tasks like detecting the DirectX version the game was built for.

> [!CAUTION]
> Use caution when injecting HydraHook into any game protected by anti-cheat software. API hooking and DLL injection are commonly detected by anti-cheat systems and may result in permanent bans from online services. Use only with games you own and in environments where such use is permitted.

> [!NOTE]
> The authors of this project do not condone the use of HydraHook in cheating software. The project's motivation has been curiosity and education entirely.

## Features

- **Runtime injection and ejection** — No launcher required. Inject into any running DirectX process and eject via `FreeLibrary` when done. Supports mid-process injection (e.g. D3D12 games already running). Graceful shutdown via `ExitProcess` / `PostQuitMessage` / `FreeLibrary` hooks avoids loader-lock and unload races.

- **Performance-focused** — Lock-free hot path for hook callbacks (atomic counters only; no mutex, no kernel transition). Shutdown uses loader-lock-safe `remove_nothrow` to avoid deadlocks during process exit.

- **No external dependencies at runtime** — Everything needed is statically linked in. Just drop the DLL into the target process; no redistributables or runtime packages required.

## Supported DirectX versions

- DirectX 9.0
- DirectX 9.0 Extended (Vista+)
- DirectX 10
- DirectX 11
- DirectX 12

## How to build

### Prerequisites

- Visual Studio **2022** ([Community Edition](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/) is free)
- [Windows SDK](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/windows-sdk/downloads)

### Build steps

1. Clone the repository and initialize submodules: `git submodule update --init --recursive`
2. Open `HydraHook.sln` in Visual Studio and build

Dependencies (spdlog, detours, imgui, directxtk) are declared in `vcpkg.json` and installed via [vcpkg](https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg) (included as a submodule). Run `prepare-deps.bat` from a **Developer Command Prompt for VS 2022** (or x64 Native Tools Command Prompt) before the first build in Visual Studio; the build will use existing `vcpkg_installed` if present.

### Pre-built binaries

> [!WARNING]
> The downloads contain a DLL Injector utility which might be flagged as unsafe by the browser due to it sharing behavior with malicious code. Use at your own risk!

![Last updated](https://buildbot.nefarius.at/builds/HydraHook/latest/LAST_UPDATED_AT.svg)

Pre-built binaries are available from the [buildbot](https://buildbot.nefarius.at/builds/HydraHook/latest/). Note: these builds may be outdated; for the latest code, build from source.

## How to use

Inject the resulting host library (e.g. `HydraHook-ImGui.dll`) into the target process first using a DLL injection utility of your choice (you can ofc. [use mine as well](https://github.com/nefarius/Injector)). The following example loads the [imgui sample](samples/HydraHook-ImGui):

```PowerShell
.\Injector -n hl2.exe -i HydraHook-ImGui.dll
```

Just make sure your host library doesn't require any external dependencies not present in the process context or you'll get a `LoadLibrary failed` error.

## Diagnostics

The core library logs its progress and potential errors to `HydraHook.log`. It tries to write in this order: (1) the directory of the process executable, (2) the directory of the HydraHook DLL, (3) `%TEMP%` if both prior locations fail (e.g. no write permissions).

## Demos

The following demo videos show [imgui](https://github.com/ocornut/imgui) being rendered in foreign processes using different versions of DirectX. Click a thumbnail to watch the video.

### DirectX 9

Half-Life 2, 32-Bit

[![Half-Life 2 Demo](https://placehold.co/640x360/e8e8e8/999999?text=Half-Life+2+%28click+to+watch%29)](https://sharex.nefarius.at/u/hl2.mp4)

### DirectX 9 Ex

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, 32-Bit

[![Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Demo](https://placehold.co/640x360/e8e8e8/999999?text=Castlevania+%28click+to+watch%29)](https://sharex.nefarius.at/u/CastlevaniaLoSUE.mp4)

### DirectX 10

Bioshock 2, 32-Bit

[![Bioshock 2 Demo](https://placehold.co/640x360/e8e8e8/999999?text=Bioshock+2+%28click+to+watch%29)](https://sharex.nefarius.at/u/BioShock2.mp4)

### DirectX 11

Road Redemption, 64-Bit

[![Road Redemption Demo](https://placehold.co/640x360/e8e8e8/999999?text=Road+Redemption+%28click+to+watch%29)](https://sharex.nefarius.at/u/RoadRedemption.mp4)

### DirectX 12

Supported on 64-bit builds. The ImGui sample automatically detects and hooks DX12 games.

BEHEMOTH, 64-Bit

[![BEHEMOTH Demo](https://placehold.co/640x360/e8e8e8/999999?text=BEHEMOTH+%28click+to+watch%29)](https://sharex.nefarius.at/u/BEHEMOTH.mp4)

## Sources

### Dependencies

This project uses the following libraries (via [vcpkg](https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg)):

**Core library only:**
- [spdlog](https://github.com/gabime/spdlog) – Fast C++ logging library
- [Microsoft Detours](https://github.com/microsoft/Detours) – API hooking library

**Sample projects only:**
- [Dear ImGui](https://github.com/ocornut/imgui) – Immediate mode GUI
- [DirectXTK](https://github.com/microsoft/DirectXTK) – DirectX Toolkit
- [OpenCV](https://github.com/opencv/opencv) – Computer vision library

### References & inspiration

- [DX9-Overlay-API](https://github.com/agrippa1994/DX9-Overlay-API)
- [Creating a render target in DirectX 11](https://www.hlsl.co.uk/blog/2014/11/19/creating-a-render-target-in-directx11)
- [ion RE Library](https://github.com/scen/ionlib)
- [C# – Screen capture and overlays for Direct3D 9, 10 and 11 using API hooks](https://web.archive.org/web/20240922031432/https://spazzarama.com/2011/03/14/c-screen-capture-and-overlays-for-direct3d-9-10-and-11-using-api-hooks/)
- [HelloD3D12](https://github.com/GPUOpen-LibrariesAndSDKs/HelloD3D12)

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