hooking

Hooking is a broad term used in several fields to describe the act of attaching, intercepting, or altering the behavior of a system or object. The meaning depends on the context, but common threads are connecting something to another component or intercepting its usual operation.

In fishing, a hook is a small, sharp device used to catch fish. It typically consists of an eye (to attach line), a shank, a bend, a point, and a barb. Hooks are made in various shapes and sizes, such as J-hooks, circle hooks, and treble hooks, and are paired with different baits or lures. Safe handling and proper gear are important to prevent injuries and losses of gear.

In computing, hooking refers to techniques for intercepting or modifying the runtime behavior of software. This can be done by inserting custom code that runs in place of or alongside existing functions. Common methods include inline hooking (redirecting a function’s entry), import address table (IAT) or global offset table (GOT) hooking, and vtable hooking in object-oriented languages. Hooking is used for debugging, performance monitoring, software instrumentation, and extending or altering program behavior. It can also be employed by malware, so it raises security and stability concerns. Mitigations include robust code signing, integrity checks, and defensive measures in operating systems and security software.

In telecommunications, hooking relates to the hook switch that detects whether a handset is on or off the hook. An off-hook state indicates the user has lifted the handset to initiate a call, while on-hook means the handset is resting and the line is idle.

Overall, hooking describes interception, connection, or alteration across different domains, with uses ranging from practical utility to potential misuse.