ghidra

Ghidra Plugin for Claude Code

A comprehensive reverse engineering integration that brings Ghidra's powerful binary analysis capabilities directly into Claude Code through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Overview

This plugin enables Claude to analyze executables, decompile functions, search for patterns, trace cross-references, and even emulate code—all through natural language conversations. It bridges Ghidra's headless analyzer with Claude Code, making reverse engineering tasks more accessible and efficient.

Key Capabilities

• Binary Analysis: Import and analyze executables, libraries, and firmware
• Decompilation: Convert assembly to readable C pseudocode
• Disassembly: View raw assembly instructions with full context
• Pattern Searching: Find byte sequences, strings, and signatures
• Cross-References: Trace data and code references throughout the binary
• Control Flow: Analyze basic blocks and call graphs
• Emulation: Execute code with Ghidra's P-code emulator
• Annotation: Add comments and rename symbols to document findings

Requirements

• Ghidra 11.0+ (tested with 12.0.2)
• Python 3.9+
• Java 17+ (for Ghidra)
• Claude Code CLI

Installation

1. Install Ghidra

Download and extract Ghidra from the official releases.

# Example: Extract to ~/ghidra
unzip ghidra_12.0.2_PUBLIC.zip -d ~/

2. Set Environment Variable

# Add to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.)
export GHIDRA_INSTALL=~/ghidra_12.0.2_PUBLIC

3. Install the Plugin

Clone or copy the plugin to your Claude Code plugins directory:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/your-org/ghidra-claude-plugin.git

# Or copy to plugins directory
cp -r ghidra ~/.claude/plugins/

4. Install Python Dependencies

cd ~/.claude/plugins/ghidra
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install mcp httpx

5. Verify Installation

claude -p "analyze /bin/ls and list its functions"

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
GHIDRA_INSTALL	Path to Ghidra installation	~/ghidra_*_PUBLIC
GHIDRA_WORKSPACE	Directory for Ghidra projects	~/.claude/ghidra-workspace

MCP Server Configuration

The plugin's .mcp.json configures the MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ghidra-mcp": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/servers/ghidra-mcp/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "GHIDRA_INSTALL": "${GHIDRA_INSTALL}",
        "GHIDRA_WORKSPACE": "${HOME}/.claude/ghidra-workspace"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

Analysis & Navigation

Tool	Description
analyze_binary	Import and analyze a binary file. Returns metadata including architecture, entry point, and function count. Must be called first.
list_functions	List functions with pagination and filtering. Returns names, addresses, sizes, and signatures.
get_symbols	Get imported and exported symbols. Shows external dependencies and exports.
list_classes	List C++/Objective-C classes, vtables, and methods.

Decompilation & Disassembly

Tool	Description
decompile_function	Decompile a function to C pseudocode. Returns code, signature, and local variables.
get_disassembly	Get raw assembly for a function or address range. Includes bytes, mnemonics, and operands.
get_basic_blocks	Get control flow graph with basic blocks, edges, and instructions.

Search & References

Tool	Description
search_strings	Find strings in the binary with minimum length and pattern filtering.
search_bytes	Search for byte patterns with wildcard support (e.g., 48 ?? 05).
get_xrefs	Get cross-references to/from an address. Trace callers, callees, and data refs.
get_call_graph	Get caller/callee tree for understanding function relationships.

Memory & Data

Tool	Description
get_memory_map	Get memory sections with permissions and addresses.
get_data_at_address	Read and interpret data at an address (bytes, integers, pointers, strings).

Modification & Annotation

Tool	Description
rename_symbol	Rename a function or symbol. Changes persist in the Ghidra project.
add_comment	Add comments at addresses (EOL, pre, post, plate, repeatable).
set_function_signature	Update function return type and parameters.
patch_bytes	Modify bytes at an address for patching or experimentation.

Advanced

Tool	Description
emulate_function	Execute code using Ghidra's P-code emulator with custom register/memory inputs.

Usage Examples

Basic Analysis