Ghidra MCP Server
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A production-ready Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that bridges Ghidra's powerful reverse engineering capabilities with modern AI tools and automation frameworks. 209 MCP tools, battle-tested AI workflows, and the most comprehensive Ghidra-MCP integration available — now including P-code emulation, live debugger integration, and PCode-graph data flow analysis.
Why Ghidra MCP?
Most Ghidra MCP implementations give you a handful of read-only tools and call it a day. This project is different — it was built by a reverse engineer who uses it daily on real binaries, not as a demo.
- 209 MCP tools — 3x more than any competing implementation. Not just read operations — full write access for renaming, typing, commenting, structure creation, script execution, P-code emulation, and live debugging.
- Battle-tested AI workflows — Proven documentation workflows (V5) refined across hundreds of functions. Includes step-by-step prompts, Hungarian notation reference, batch processing guides, and orphaned code discovery.
- Production-grade reliability — Atomic transactions, batch operations (93% API call reduction), configurable timeouts, and graceful error handling. No silent failures.
- Cross-binary documentation transfer — SHA-256 function hash matching propagates documentation across binary versions automatically. Document once, apply everywhere.
- Full Ghidra Server integration — Connect to shared Ghidra servers, manage repositories, version control, checkout/checkin workflows, and multi-user collaboration.
- Headless and GUI modes — Run with or without the Ghidra GUI. Docker-ready for CI/CD pipelines and automated analysis at scale.
- Opinionated by design — v5.0 moves naming conventions, type safety, and documentation standards into the tool layer. AI agents and human engineers produce consistent output without style guides in every prompt.
Convention Enforcement
You've been there: six months into a project you find ProcessItem, process_items, handleItem, and ItemProc in the same codebase — four functions doing the same thing, named by four different sessions or engineers with no shared contract. Fixing it takes longer than it should, and the problem will happen again.
v5.0 moves conventions from "things to remember" into the tool layer, where they can actually be enforced.
| Tier | Behavior | Example |
|---|
| Auto-fix | Applied silently | count field on a uint32 → auto-prefixed dwCount on save |
| Warn | Change goes through, warning returned | processData → "name should be PascalCase with a verb: ProcessData" |
| Reject | Change blocked with explanation | undefined → undefined type change → "no-op rejected, type unchanged" |
For AI agents, this means consistent output across every session, every model, every run — without pasting a style guide into every prompt. The tool knows the rules; the model just needs to make the call.
For teams, it eliminates the entire class of review comment that says "that's not our naming convention." Convention arbitration stays in the tool, not in code review.
For solo work at scale, analyze_function_completeness gives you a 0–100% score that measures honestly: structural deductions (unfixable compiler artifacts) are forgiven in your effective score, log-scaling prevents one bad category from burying everything else, and tiered plate comment quality means you know exactly what's missing and why.
🌟 Features
Core MCP Integration
- Full MCP Compatibility — Complete implementation of Model Context Protocol
- 209 MCP tools — Comprehensive API surface covering every aspect of binary analysis
- Production-Ready Reliability — Atomic transactions, batch operations, configurable timeouts
- Real-time Analysis — Live integration with Ghidra's analysis engine
Compatibility note: MCP tool names are normalized for GitHub Copilot CLI
and CAPI validation. Exposed tool names use lowercase letters, digits,
underscores, and hyphens only; nested HTTP paths such as /debugger/status
are advertised as names like debugger_status_2 when needed to avoid
collisions with static bridge tools.
Binary Analysis Capabilities
- Function Analysis — Decompilation, call graphs, cross-references, completeness scoring
- Data Flow Analysis — PCode-graph value propagation (forward / backward) from any variable or register
- Data Structure Discovery — Struct/union/enum creation with field analysis and naming suggestions
- String Extraction — Regex search, quality filtering, and string-anchored function discovery
- Import/Export Analysis — Symbol tables, external locations, ordinal import resolution
- Memory & Data Inspection — Raw memory reads, byte pattern search, array boundary detection
- Cross-Binary Documentation — Function hash matching and documentation propagation across versions
Dynamic Analysis (v5.4.0)
- P-code Emulation — Run any function in isolation via Ghidra's
EmulatorHelper; brute-force API hash resolution in milliseconds
- Live Debugger Integration — 16
/debugger/* endpoints over Ghidra's TraceRmi framework (GUI plugin only; dbgeng on Windows PE, gdb/lldb otherwise): launch, interrupt/resume, step into/over/out, breakpoints, registers, memory reads, stack traces, ASLR-aware static↔dynamic address translation. The bridge can also proxy 22 debugger_* tools to an external debugger server; they are opt-in (see below)
AI-Powered Reverse Engineering Workflows
- Function Documentation Workflow V5 — 7-step process for complete function documentation with Hungarian notation, type auditing, and automated verification scoring
- Batch Documentation — Parallel subagent dispatch for documenting multiple functions simultaneously
- Orphaned Code Discovery — Automated scanner finds undiscovered functions in gaps between known code
- Data Type Investigation — Systematic workflows for structure discovery and field analysis
- Cross-Version Matching — Hash-based function matching across different binary versions
Development & Automation
- Ghidra Script Execution — List and run Ghidra scripts, or run inline script code, via MCP (running them is opt-in:
GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOW_SCRIPTS=1)
- Multi-Program Support — Switch between and compare multiple open programs
- Batch Operations — Bulk renaming, commenting, typing, and label management (93% fewer API calls)
- Headless Server — Full analysis without Ghidra GUI — Docker and CI/CD ready
- Project & Version Control — Create projects, manage files, Ghidra Server integration
- Analysis Control — List, configure, and trigger Ghidra analyzers programmatically
Basic Usage
Option 1: Stdio Transport (Recommended for AI tools)
uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra # or: python -m bridge_mcp_ghidra
MCP client config (.mcp.json, ~/.cursor/mcp.json, Claude Desktop config, …).
Use the absolute path to uv — see the note below for why:
{
"mcpServers": {
"ghidra-mcp": {
"command": "/home/<you>/.local/bin/uv",
"args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/ghidra-mcp", "bridge-mcp-ghidra", "--transport", "stdio"],
"env": { "GHIDRA_MCP_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:8089" }
}
}
}
On Windows the same config points at uv.exe, e.g.
"command": "C:\\Users\\<you>\\.local\\bin\\uv.exe". Find your own path with
which uv (POSIX) or where.exe uv (Windows), or just run
python -m tools.setup preflight, which prints the resolved absolute path and a
ready-to-paste snippet.
Why absolute? "command": "uv" fails under service and GUI launchers.
The MCP client resolves command with its own PATH, not your shell's. A
client started from a systemd user service, a .desktop entry, or any
other GUI session inherits that launcher's environment, which routinely lacks
~/.local/bin and ~/.cargo/bin — the very directories uv installs into.
The failure lands at process-spawn time as spawn uv ENOENT, before any
bridge code runs, so there is nothing in any log to read. An absolute path
makes the client's PATH irrelevant and works on the first try. The same
applies to python, python3, and the bridge-mcp-ghidra console script.
(#441)
To add the bridge to Autohand Code from a cloned checkout:
autohand mcp add ghidra /home/<you>/.local/bin/uv run --directory /path/to/ghidra-mcp bridge-mcp-ghidra
Add --scope project before ghidra to save the server in the current project's .autohand configuration instead of your user configuration.
Option 2: Streamable HTTP Transport (Recommended for web/HTTP clients)
uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra --transport streamable-http --mcp-host 127.0.0.1 --mcp-port 8081
MCP client config for the HTTP transport (add to your client's MCP config file):
{
"mcpServers": {
"ghidra-mcp-http": {
"url": "http://127.0.0.1:8081/mcp"
}
}
}
Browser-based clients (e.g. MCP Inspector)
work out of the box: the HTTP transports answer CORS preflight (OPTIONS) requests and expose
the mcp-session-id / mcp-protocol-version headers to scripts. Allowed origins mirror the
Host-header policy — loopback on any port is always permitted, plus the bind host and any
hosts listed in GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS.
GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS also supports clients that route a loopback-bound
bridge through another network namespace. For example, a container can address
the host as host.containers.internal without exposing the bridge on a LAN
interface:
GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS=host.containers.internal \
uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra --transport streamable-http \
--mcp-host 127.0.0.1 --mcp-port 8081
The setting extends DNS-rebinding Host/Origin validation only; it does not
change the bind address or make the listener reachable on additional interfaces.
Option 3: SSE Transport (Deprecated — use streamable-http instead)
uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra --transport sse --mcp-host 127.0.0.1 --mcp-port 8081
Bridge advanced flags
| Flag | Default | Description |
|---|
--transport | stdio | stdio (AI tools), streamable-http (web clients), sse (deprecated) |
--mcp-host | 127.0.0.1 | Bind host for HTTP transports |
--mcp-port | — | Port for HTTP transports |
--lazy | (default) | Load only the default tool groups on connect, and let the model pull in the rest with search_tools/load_tool_group. |
--no-lazy | off | Load all tool groups immediately on connect. Needed only by MCP clients that ignore tools/list_changed; rejected outright by the Gemini API (see below). |
--default-groups | listing,function,program | Comma-separated groups loaded on connect under --lazy. |
--tools-page-size | 0 | Serve tools/list in pages of this size (0 = one page). Only for a client that cannot take one large response; a client that ignores nextCursor sees only the first page. |
--json-response | off | streamable-http: answer POSTs with plain JSON instead of an SSE stream. Server-initiated messages such as tools/list_changed are then not delivered. |
--stateless-http | off | streamable-http: no session id and no server-initiated notifications, for running several bridge workers behind a load balancer. Pair it with --no-lazy, since a group loaded later can never be announced. |
To require a token from MCP clients of an HTTP transport, set
GHIDRA_MCP_INBOUND_TOKEN=<secret>; clients must then send
Authorization: Bearer <secret>. The bridge logs a warning when it binds a
non-loopback --mcp-host without one. Separately, when GHIDRA_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN
(the token the bridge sends to Ghidra) is set and the bridge binds a
non-loopback host, clients must present that same token, so the bridge cannot
be used to relay it.
Lazy tool loading is the default (issue #440)
Advertising all 209 endpoints in a single tools/list is over a hard limit for
at least one major provider. Gemini compiles function declarations into a
constrained-decoding state machine and rejects the whole request before any tool
is ever called:
400 INVALID_ARGUMENT
The specified schema produces a constraint that has too many states for serving
That is not a degradation, it is an outright break, and no client-side setting
could work around a server that only ever offered the full set. So the bridge
now loads listing,function,program (68 endpoints plus the 8 static tools) on
connect and registers the rest on demand.
If your client ignores tools/list_changed it will not notice tools that
are registered later, and should turn lazy loading off:
uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra --no-lazy # when you control the command line
export GHIDRA_MCP_LAZY=0 # when you don't (Docker, uvx, some client configs)
GHIDRA_MCP_LAZY accepts 0/false/no/off and 1/true/yes/on; an explicit
--lazy/--no-lazy on the command line wins over it. Startup logs which mode
is in effect.
Strict program routing (multi-program safety)
Set GHIDRA_MCP_REQUIRE_PROGRAM_SELECTORS=1 to make the bridge refuse any program-scoped
call that omits a program selector, returning a clear error instead of letting the call
ride the server's shared "current program" (the one switch_program and the
active GUI tab move).
export GHIDRA_MCP_REQUIRE_PROGRAM_SELECTORS=1
uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra
Without this, a call that leaves program= out runs against whichever program
is current, which is fine for a single-program workflow but a hazard once
several programs are open: the call can read or edit the wrong binary with no
error. The hazard is worse when more than one client shares a server, since
each one moves that current-program global out from under the others.
With strict mode on, every program-scoped call must name its target. This
covers every selector that picks an open program: plain program= and the
cross-program tools' source_program/target_program or program_a/program_b
(declared required, but the server still falls back to the current program when
one arrives empty). A forgotten selector surfaces as a loud error on the first
bad call instead of a silent write to the wrong binary. Tools with no program
selector (open_program and close_program take path/name) are unaffected.
Off by default: with the variable unset the bridge sends calls unchanged.
Reducing tool-context overhead
The bridge exposes a large catalog, so it loads only listing,function,program
on connect (see above) and lets the model discover the rest on demand
instead of registering everything:
search_tools("rename function") — keyword-search the entire catalog,
including tools whose group isn't loaded. Each result says whether it's
callable now and, if not, the exact load_tool_group(...) call to enable it.list_tool_groups() — list all categories and their load state.load_tool_group("datatype") / unload_tool_group("datatype") — load or
drop a category at runtime.check_tools("rename_symbol,batch_set_comments") — confirm specific tools
are callable right now.
search_tools works in both lazy and --no-lazy modes, so agents that honor
tools/list_changed get full discovery without the upfront context cost.
Minimal read-only allowlist
Some MCP clients gate tools through an explicit allowlist. Cut it too far and
the agent loses discovery — it cannot find entry points or enumerate
functions through MCP, so it works around the allowlist by curl-ing the HTTP
API on 127.0.0.1:8089 directly, which defeats the point of having one. The
allowlist has to be small and self-sufficient.
Minimum viable read-only set (4 tools):
| Tool | Group | What it buys you |
|---|
get_metadata | program | Which binary is loaded — name, architecture, image base, function count. Orientation, and it confirms the bridge reached Ghidra at all. |
find_functions | listing | Paginated function enumeration (offset, limit); with no filter it lists the whole program, and name_pattern/regex turn it into a name search. This is the discovery tool — without it the agent cannot answer "what is in this binary". |
get_entry_points | listing | Where execution starts, so analysis has a root to work down from. |
get_functions | function | The payload. Takes function= (name or address) or functions= (comma-separated names or addresses, up to 20), and fields= to pick what comes back: decompiled_code, signature, callers, callees, xrefs, comments, and more. |
That set is genuinely closed: get_entry_points and find_functions supply the
addresses and names that get_functions consumes, and its callees field names
the next functions to feed straight back into it.
The three tools suggested in #441
were get_metadata, get_entry_points and decompile_function. The first two
still exist under those names; decompile_function was folded into
get_functions in 7.0.0 (fields=decompiled_code), and
the migration guide
maps every other removed name. find_functions is the one addition worth
making: without it the agent can only reach code that is reachable by name from
something it already decompiled, so anything not referenced from an entry point
is invisible.
Useful next additions, in order:
| Tool | Group | Why |
|---|
get_function_call_graph | xref | A multi-level call graph (depth, direction) in one call. One level of callers and callees already comes from get_functions. |
get_xrefs_to | xref | Who touches this address — the standard question about a global. Takes addresses= for several at once. |
list_strings | listing | Strings are the cheapest orientation signal in an unknown binary. |
list_program_items | listing | kind=imports / kind=exports: the binary's external surface. Other kinds list segments, classes, namespaces, data items and external locations. |
Every tool above is a GET; none of them writes to the Ghidra database.
Two things to check when your allowlist is narrow:
- Groups, not just names. The bridge registers tools by group, and the
group is the
category on the Java @McpTool annotation (which the running
server publishes at /mcp/schema) — not the category field in
tests/endpoints.json, which is a separate hand-maintained column and does
not always agree. All four tools in the minimum set fall inside the default
listing,function,program groups, so they are registered even under --lazy.
Of the additions above, only the xref ones fall outside: under --lazy you
must either allow load_tool_group as well, or start the bridge with
--default-groups listing,function,program,xref.
- A narrow allowlist plus
--lazy needs the group tools. If you allowlist
only leaf tools and run lazily, the agent has no way to load anything else.
Either run eagerly (--no-lazy; lazy is the default) or add search_tools,
list_tool_groups, load_tool_group, and check_tools to the allowlist.
Verify any allowlist against the running server rather than against this table:
curl http://127.0.0.1:8089/mcp/schema lists every tool with the category
the bridge groups it by.
Optional: Connect an external debugger server
The bridge can proxy 22 debugger_* tools to an external dbgeng/WinDbg
debugger server speaking the bridge's debugger HTTP API. That server is not
part of this repository; this repo ships only the proxies. They are off by
default and register only when you opt in:
# point the bridge at your debugger server (loopback only)
export GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8099
# or force registration against the default URL (http://127.0.0.1:8099)
export GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_TOOLS=1
GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_TOOLS decides outright when set: 1/true/yes/on
registers the tools, anything else (0, false, ...) keeps them off even with
a URL configured. With neither variable set the tools simply do not appear,
rather than appearing and failing. The host platform plays no part.
Ghidra's own TraceRmi debugger endpoints (debugger_status, debugger_launch,
...) are separate: they live in the GUI plugin and need no extra server.
Calls are only ever proxied to a loopback URL (127.0.0.1, localhost or
::1), so a non-loopback GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL does not register the tools. To
reach a debugger server on another machine, forward its port to loopback (for
example an SSH tunnel) and point GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL there.
The bridge reads these from its own process environment (the MCP client's
env block, or your shell); it does not read a .env file.
In Ghidra
- Start Ghidra and open your project
- In the project window, enable the plugin via File > Configure > Utility > Configure > GhidraMCPPlugin (this is what
deploy does; enabling it in CodeBrowser also works, but then the server runs only while CodeBrowser is open)
- Optional: configure a custom port via Edit > Tool Options > GhidraMCP HTTP Server in the same window
- The server starts with the plugin; check it via Tools > GhidraMCP > Server Status
- The server runs on
http://127.0.0.1:8089/ by default
Screenshots of every step: docs/INSTALL_GUI.md.
Verify It's Working
# Quick health check
curl http://127.0.0.1:8089/check_connection
# Expected: {"status": "ok", "server_kind": "gui", "version": "7.0.0", "program": "<name>"}
# ("program" appears only while a program is current)
# Fuller health: build details, uptime, open program count, HTTP pool, memory
curl http://127.0.0.1:8089/mcp/health
# Every tool the server advertises
curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8089/mcp/schema | jq '.tools | length'
Support This Project
If Ghidra MCP saves you engineering or reverse-engineering time, consider sponsoring the project.
- One-time sponsorship helps fund fixes, compatibility updates, and release work.
- Recurring sponsorship helps keep maintenance, docs, and production hardening moving.
- Company support helps prioritize long-term reliability for the bridge, headless server, debugger integration, and workflow tooling.
🔒 Security
GhidraMCP is designed for localhost-only development. The default configuration — HTTP server bound to 127.0.0.1, no authentication — is safe on a trusted single-user workstation and matches pre-v5.4.1 behavior.
If you expose the server beyond loopback, configure these three environment variables first. The server refuses to start on a non-loopback bind without a token.
| Env var | Effect |
|---|
GHIDRA_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN | When set, every HTTP request must carry Authorization: Bearer <token>. Timing-safe comparison. /mcp/health and /check_connection are exempt. |
GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOW_SCRIPTS | Set to 1, true, or yes to enable /run_script_inline and /run_ghidra_script. Off by default as of v5.4.1 — these endpoints execute arbitrary Java against the Ghidra process. In headless mode this also triggers OSGi BundleHost initialization at server startup (Felix framework, ~hundreds of ms); leave it off if you don't need script execution. |
GHIDRA_MCP_FILE_ROOT | When set to a directory path, filesystem-path endpoints (/import_file, /open_project, /delete_file, etc.) canonicalize the input and require it to fall under this root. Prevents path-traversal. |
Name-quality enforcement is separate from security. By default,
rename_function and global write endpoints reject names that fail
the built-in quality gates, and struct field writes apply the built-in field
prefix convention. Disable the built-in convention layer with Edit > Tool
Options > GhidraMCP HTTP Server > Strict Naming Enforcement. The same Tool
Options checkbox covers rename_symbol (all symbol kinds),
set_global, the apply_data_type prefix/type guard, and struct-field
Hungarian prefix auto-fixes in create_struct, add_struct_field, and
modify_struct_field. The setting is read when the MCP server starts or
restarts. Function/global convention warnings are still returned when
enforcement is disabled.
Example: exposing to a private LAN with auth
export GHIDRA_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
export GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOW_SCRIPTS=1 # only if your workflow needs it
export GHIDRA_MCP_FILE_ROOT=/srv/ghidra/inputs
# Headless server (`mvn clean package -P headless -DskipTests`). The jar does not
# bundle Ghidra, so Ghidra's Framework/Features/Processors jars go on the
# classpath too -- docker/entrypoint.sh builds exactly that command.
java -cp "target/GhidraMCP-<version>.jar:<ghidra jars>" \
com.xebyte.headless.GhidraMCPHeadlessServer --bind 0.0.0.0 --port 8089
The headless server serves only its Unix domain socket unless --port or
--bind is given; either one adds the TCP listener.
Ghidra Server authentication
When connecting to a shared Ghidra Server, GhidraMCP can suppress the password dialog automatically. It resolves credentials in this order (first non-empty value wins):
Compatibility note: Ghidra 12.1.4 clients require Ghidra Server 12.1.2,
12.0.5, or a newer compatible server. Older shared servers are not safe
targets for a 12.1 client upgrade.
GHIDRA_SERVER_PASSWORD environment variable (or .env file in the Ghidra install directory or ~)~/.ghidra-cred — single-line password file in your home directory<ghidra-install-dir>/.ghidra-cred
Username resolves similarly: GHIDRA_SERVER_USER env var → user.name system property.
If no password is found, Ghidra shows its normal GUI prompt. Set these in .env (see .env.template for the full block) to enable silent auth.
Migration from v5.4.0 → v5.4.1
- Script endpoints now default-off. If you relied on
/run_script_inline or /run_ghidra_script, export GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOW_SCRIPTS=1. This is a deliberate breaking change; the prior default was unsafe.
- Localhost-only deployments need no changes. Auth, bind refusal, and path-root checks are all opt-in.
❓ Troubleshooting
spawn uv ENOENT / spawn python ENOENT when the client starts the server
Cause: the MCP client could not find the command on its own PATH. This
happens before any bridge code runs, so there is nothing in the Ghidra log or
the bridge log to look at — the process was never created.
It shows up when the client is launched by something other than a login shell:
- a systemd user service (
systemctl --user), whose PATH is
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin unless you extend it;
- a desktop
.desktop entry, dock icon, or app launcher;
- macOS apps started from Finder, which inherit
launchd's PATH.
None of those contain ~/.local/bin (uv's default install location) or
~/.cargo/bin, so "command": "uv" cannot resolve even though uv works
perfectly in your terminal.
Solution: use an absolute path in the client config.
// before — resolves against the client's PATH, fails under a service/GUI launcher
"command": "uv"
// after — no PATH lookup at all
"command": "/home/<you>/.local/bin/uv"
Find yours with which uv (POSIX) or where.exe uv (Windows). Or run:
python -m tools.setup preflight
which prints the resolved absolute path, the PATH entries it searched when a
launcher is missing, and a ready-to-paste config snippet. Note what that check
can and cannot tell you: it resolves against your shell's PATH, not the
client's, so a pass there is evidence, not proof — the absolute path is what
actually removes the failure mode. (#441)
If you must keep a bare command name, give the service manager the PATH instead
— e.g. Environment="PATH=%h/.local/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin" in the
unit file, or systemctl --user import-environment PATH — but the absolute
path is the smaller and more portable fix.
"GhidraMCP" menu not appearing in Tools
Cause: Plugin not enabled or installed incorrectly.
Solution:
- Verify extension is installed: File > Install Extensions — GhidraMCP should be listed
- Enable the plugin: File > Configure > Utility > Configure > GhidraMCPPlugin (check the box)
- Restart Ghidra after installation/enabling
Illustrated walkthrough: docs/INSTALL_GUI.md.
Server not responding / Connection refused
Cause: Server not started or wrong port.
Solution:
-
Check the server state: Tools > GhidraMCP > Server Status (it starts with the plugin; use Restart Server if it is stopped)
-
Check configured port: Edit > Tool Options > GhidraMCP HTTP Server
-
Check if port is in use:
# Linux/macOS
lsof -i :8089
# Windows
netstat -ano | findstr :8089
-
Look for errors in Ghidra console: Window > Console
pip install fails with error: externally-managed-environment
Cause: PEP 668. Debian-family distros (Debian 12+, Kali, Ubuntu 23.04+)
mark the system Python as externally managed, so global pip install is
blocked to protect apt-managed packages.
Solution: Use a virtual environment — never --break-system-packages.
The recommended path is uv, which manages a
project-local .venv automatically:
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
cd ghidra-mcp
uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra
Or a classic venv:
python3 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .
bridge-mcp-ghidra
The debugger_* tools do not appear
Cause: The 22 bridge-side debugger proxies are off by default. They register
only when GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL is set or GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_TOOLS=1, and they
forward to an external debugger server that is not part of this repository.
Solution: start your debugger server, then set the URL before launching the
bridge:
export GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8099
If the tools appear but every call reports that the server is not running,
the URL is wrong or the server is down. GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_TOOLS=0 turns them off
again even with a URL configured.
500 Internal Server Errors
Cause: Server-side exception, often due to missing program data.
Solution:
- Ensure a binary is loaded in CodeBrowser
- Run auto-analysis first: Analysis > Auto Analyze
- Check Ghidra console (Window > Console) for Java exceptions
- Some operations require fully analyzed binaries
404 Not Found Errors
Cause: Endpoint doesn't exist or wrong URL.
Solution:
- Verify the endpoint exists:
curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8089/mcp/schema lists every tool the server advertises
- Check for typos in endpoint name
- Ensure you're using correct HTTP method (GET vs POST)
- If a script or prompt calls a tool that worked before 7.0.0 (
decompile_function, list_functions, search_functions, get_function_callers, list_imports, ...), it was consolidated: the 7.0.0 migration guide names the replacement for every removed tool
- Some routes exist on only one server:
/debugger/* and /tool/* are GUI-only, and /create_project, /close_project, /delete_project and /list_projects are headless-only (see the API Reference)
Python Ghidra scripts fail with "No script provider found"
Cause: In Ghidra 12.1.4, Jython support is no longer enabled by
default. .py scripts need the bundled Jython extension; Python 3
scripts should use PyGhidra instead of the Ghidra Script Manager.
Solution:
- In the Ghidra Front End, open File > Install Extensions.
- Check Jython, restart Ghidra, then refresh Script Manager.
- For new automation, prefer Java Ghidra scripts or PyGhidra.
Extension not appearing in Install Extensions
Cause: JAR file in wrong location.
Solution:
- Manual install location:
~/.config/ghidra/ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC/Extensions/GhidraMCP/lib/GhidraMCP.jar
(%APPDATA%\ghidra\... on Windows, ~/Library/ghidra/... on macOS)
- Or use: File > Install Extensions > Add and select the ZIP file — see the
illustrated guide
- Ensure JAR/ZIP was built for your Ghidra version
Build fails with "Ghidra dependencies not found"
Cause: Ghidra JARs not installed in local Maven repository (Maven backend only; Gradle reads them straight from the installation).
Solution:
# Windows (recommended)
python -m tools.setup install-ghidra-deps --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
Under Gradle, a wall of package ghidra.program.model.address does not exist
errors instead means -PGHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR resolved to nothing — in Git Bash,
write the path with forward slashes.
📊 Production Performance
- MCP Tools: 209 tools fully implemented (the whole catalog; the GUI plugin serves 205 of them and the headless server 190)
- Speed: Sub-second response for most operations
- Efficiency: 93% reduction in API calls via batch operations
- Reliability: Atomic transactions with all-or-nothing semantics
- AI Workflows: Proven documentation prompts refined across hundreds of real functions
- Deployment: Automated version-aware deployment script
🛠️ API Reference
209 MCP tools backed by HTTP endpoints, grouped by catalog category. Generated from tests/endpoints.json by python -m tools.gen_readme_api_reference --write; the live schema at /mcp/schema is authoritative at runtime. Usage patterns: docs/prompts/TOOL_USAGE_GUIDE.md.
186 of these are served by both the GUI plugin and the standalone headless server. The rest are marked (GUI only) (19) or (headless only) (4) — calling one against the other server returns a 404, not an error message. See python -m tools.audit_server_scope for how the split is derived.
Program & Session Management
analysis_status - Get auto-analysis status for open programsclose_program - Close an open program by project path or namecreate_memory_block - Create memory block, optionally initialized with byte contents (hex or base64)create_property_map - Create a user property map to store typed values keyed by addressdelete_bookmark - Delete bookmarkdelete_property_map - Delete a user property map and all values it holdsexit_ghidra - Save and exit Ghidraget_address_spaces - List all physical and overlay address spaces in the program (overlays include is_overlay flag and overlayed_space name)get_language_metadata - Dump the program's language description: address spaces, registers, default symbols, endianness, pointer size (issue #192)get_metadata - Get program metadataget_program_options - Read all options in a program option group with types, current values, defaults, and descriptionsget_property - Read the value stored at an address in a property mapimport_file - Import a binary file from disk into the current Ghidra project and open itlist_bookmarks - List bookmarkslist_open_programs - List open programslist_project_files - List project fileslist_properties - List (address, value) entries stored in a property map, with paginationlist_scripts - List available Ghidra scriptsopen_program - Open program from projectread_memory - Read raw memoryreanalyze - Trigger full auto-analysis on a programremove_program_option - Remove an option from a program option groupremove_property - Remove the value stored at a single address in a property maprun_ghidra_script - Run script with output capturerun_script_inline - Run inline script codesave_all_programs - Save all open programssave_program - Save current programset_bookmark - Set bookmarkset_image_base - Set the base address of the program (rebases all addresses)set_memory_block - Change an existing memory block's permissions or volatilityset_program_option - Set a typed program optionset_property - Set a value at an address in a property mapswitch_program - Switch current program
Project Organization
archive_project - Archive the currently open project to a Ghidra-native .gar filecreate_folder - Create a folder in the projectdelete_file - Delete a file from the projectdelete_project - Delete a Ghidra project (headless only)export_program - Export an open or project-resident program to a Ghidra Zip File (.gzf)get_project_info - Get info about the currently open projectimport_program - Import a Ghidra Zip File (.gzf) into the currently open project as a new DomainFile under target_folder (default '/')list_projects - List available Ghidra projects (headless only)move_file - Move a program file to a different folder in the project, preserving analysis and documentationmove_folder - Move a project folder and everything under it into another folderrestore_project - Restore a Ghidra .gar archive into a fresh on-disk project at parent_dir/project_name
Headless Project & Program Lifecycle
Available on the standalone headless server (GhidraMCPHeadlessServer).
close_project - Close the currently open project (headless only)create_project - Create a new Ghidra project (headless only)open_project - Open an existing Ghidra project (.gpr file or directory)
Listing & Enumeration
convert_number - Convert number between basesfind_functions - Find functions: every filter is optional, so with none it lists the whole program a page at a timeget_entry_points - Get program entry pointsget_external_location - Get external location detailsget_function_count - Return the number of functions in the loaded programlist_calling_conventions - List available calling conventionslist_data_items_by_xrefs - List data sorted by xref countlist_globals - List global variableslist_program_items - List one kind of program inventory with paginationlist_shadowed_globals - List named global DATA symbols that have NO type of their own because a larger data unit starting at an earlier address covers themlist_strings - List defined stringssearch_strings - Search defined strings by a regex/substring pattern
Current GUI Context
get_ui_cursor - What the analyst is looking at right now: cursor address, the function under it, the listing selection, and the focused program — one call instead of four
Functions: Decompile, Rename, Prototypes & Variables
add_function_tag - Attach tags to ONE function (function + tags) OR MANY in one transaction (assignments=[{function,tags}, ...])batch_rename_function_components - Batch rename function componentsclear_flow_and_repair - Run Ghidra's GUI 'Clear Flow and Repair' action on a seed range: clears instruction flow reachable from the seed, then repairs function bodies and re-disassembles retained flow (ClearFlowAndRepairCmd with clear_data=false, clear_labels=false, repair=true)clear_instruction_flow_override - Clear flow overridecreate_function - Create function at addressdelete_function - Delete function at addressdelete_function_tag - Delete a program-wide function tag definitiondisassemble_bytes - Disassemble byte rangedisassemble_function - Disassemble functionforce_decompile - Force fresh decompilation (output stamped with language_id + variant; optional variant= is checked against the loaded one)get_functions - Everything about one or many functions in a single calllist_class_members - List the member functions of a C++ classlist_function_tags - List all program-wide function tag definitions with their use countsremove_function_tag - Detach one or more tags from a functionrename_function - Rename function by namerename_variables - Batch rename variablesset_function_no_return - Set no-return attributeset_function_prototype - Set function prototype (return type, param types, calling convention)set_function_tag_comment - Update the comment/description on an existing program-wide function tagset_function_this_type - Set the decompiler/database type of the implicit 'this' pointer (ECX on x86 __thiscall/__fastcall)set_variable_storage - Set variable storageset_variable_type - Set the data type of a function variable (local OR parameter) by name at the decompiler (high-level) layerset_variables - Set types and names for multiple variables atomically
Symbols, Labels & Globals
can_rename_at_address - Check if address can be renamedcreate_label - Create labeldelete_label - Delete label at addressrename_symbol - Rename a symbol of any kind
Cross-References & Call Graphs
add_memory_reference - Create a user-defined cross-reference between two memory addresses that the auto-analyzer can't infer (runtime-populated pointer tables, vtables, late-bound function pointers, missed jump/switch tables)analyze_call_graph - Analyze function call graph patternsget_assembly_context - Get assembly contextget_full_call_graph - Get full call graphget_function_call_graph - Get call graphget_xrefs_from - Get references from addressget_xrefs_to - Get references to addressremove_reference - Remove memory cross-reference(s) from one address to another — the inverse of add_memory_reference
Data Types & Structures
add_struct_field - Add struct fieldanalyze_global_completeness - Score a global variable's documentation completeness on a budgeted 0-100 scale — the data-address analog of analyze_function_completenessanalyze_struct_field_usage - Analyze struct field usageapply_data_classification - Apply data classificationapply_data_type - Apply data typeaudit_global - Audit a global variable's documentation stateaudit_globals_in_function - Audit every global variable referenced from within a function in one callclone_data_type - Clone data typecreate_data_type_category - Create data type categorycreate_derived_type - Create a type built on another: a typedef alias, an array or a pointercreate_enum - Create enumerationcreate_function_signature - Create function signature typecreate_struct - Create structurecreate_union - Create uniondelete_data_type - Delete data typefind_data_types - Find data types by name or path pattern, category and kind, one record per type (name, kind, category, size, path)get_enum_values - Get enumeration valuesget_struct_layout - Get structure layoutget_type_size - Get data type size and infoget_valid_data_types - Get valid data type namesimport_data_types - Import data types from GDTmodify_struct_field - Modify a field in a structure: retype it (new_type, which also embeds a struct by value, e.gmove_data_type_to_category - Move data type to categoryrecreate_struct - Replace a structure in one step: optionally remove an existing same-named type, then create with fields JSON (same shape as create_struct)remove_struct_field - Remove struct fieldrename_data_type - Rename a data type (struct, union, enum, typedef) in place, preserving existing applications of itresize_struct - Grow or shrink an existing structure by total byte sizeresolve_duplicate_type - Find duplicate data types by simple name; delete unused /Demangler size-1 stubs when a larger canonical type existsset_global - Atomically apply name + type + plate-comment + array length to a global variablesuggest_field_names - Suggest field namesvalidate_data_type - Validate data type syntaxvalidate_function_prototype - Validate function prototype
Comments
batch_set_comments - Set multiple commentsclear_function_comments - Clear all comments for a functionget_comment - Get listing comments (plate/pre/eol/post/repeatable) at ANY address, including data addresses (works on functions and data globals alike), for ONE address (address=) or MANY in one call (addresses=a,b,c)set_comment - Set a listing comment of a given kind (plate/pre/eol/post/repeatable) at ANY address, including data addresses
Analysis
analyze_control_flow - Analyze control flowanalyze_data_region - Analyze data regionanalyze_dataflow - Trace value propagation through a function (PCode graph, forward/backward)analyze_for_documentation - Composite RE documentation analysis (decompile + classify + variables + completeness); decompiled_code is stamped with language_id + variant, and withheld if a supplied variant= contradicts the programanalyze_function_complete - Comprehensive single-call function analysisanalyze_function_completeness - Analyze documentation completenessapply_documentation - Apply documentation to ONE function (fields at the top level) OR MANY (entries=[{address, ...}, ...])configure_analyzer - Configure an analysis plugindetect_array_bounds - Detect array boundsfind_code_gaps - Find gaps of undefined bytes between functions in executable memoryfind_dead_code - Find dead codefind_next_undefined_function - Find next undefined functionfind_similar_functions - Find similar functionsget_field_access_context - Get field access contextget_function_pcode - Dump raw P-code for a function (issue #192)inspect_memory_content - Inspect memory byteslist_analyzers - List available analysis pluginsrun_analysis - Run auto-analysis on the current programsearch_byte_patterns - Search for byte patternssearch_instructions - Search for instructions by mnemonic and/or operand substring
Malware & Anti-Analysis
analyze_api_call_chains - Analyze API call chainsdetect_crypto_constants - Detect crypto constantsdetect_malware_behaviors - Detect malware behaviorsextract_iocs_with_context - Extract IOCs with contextfind_anti_analysis_techniques - Find anti-analysis techniques
Cross-Binary Documentation & Archive
archive_ingest_function - Ingest a single function's documentation into the cross-version archive (the doc archive service configured via GHIDRA_MCP_ARCHIVE_URL)archive_ingest_program - Bulk-ingest every function in a program into the cross-version documentation archivebatch_string_anchor_report - Report of source file strings and their FUN_* functionsbulk_fuzzy_match - Bulk cross-binary function matchingcompare_programs_documentation - Compare documentation across programsdiff_functions - Diff two functionsfind_similar_functions_fuzzy - Cross-binary fuzzy function matchingfind_undocumented_by_string - Find undocumented functions referencing stringget_function_documentation - Export function documentationget_function_hash - Compute the normalized opcode hash of ONE function (function=), or of MANY in one call by omitting it: every function, paged, optionally only the documented or undocumented ones (filter=)merge_program_documentation - Bulk merge: copy all RE documentation (function names, signatures, plate comments, instruction comments at EOL/PRE/POST, non-default labels & global symbols) from one program to another at matching addresses
Health, Schema & Tool Control
check_connection - Liveness probe: {status, server_kind (gui/headless), version, program when one is current}mcp_health - Server health: kind (gui/headless), build, current program, uptime, HTTP pool, memory, endpoint countmcp_schema - Machine-readable API schema with endpoint metadatatool_goto_address - Navigate CodeBrowser listing and decompiler to a specific address (GUI only)tool_running_tools - List all running Ghidra tool windows (GUI only)
Emulation
emulate_function - Emulate a single function with controlled register/memory inputsemulate_hash_batch - Brute-force API hash resolution
Ghidra Server & Version Control
checkin_program - Check an open program back in to the shared Ghidra Server as a new versionserver_admin_set_permissions - Set user permissions on a repositoryserver_admin_terminate_all_checkouts - Terminate all checkouts in a folder recursivelyserver_admin_terminate_checkout - Terminate all checkouts on a single fileserver_admin_users - List all users on the serverserver_authenticate - Register server credentials for programmatic authenticationserver_checkouts - List all checked-out files in a folder, including server-side checkoutsserver_connect - Report/establish the Ghidra server connectionserver_disconnect - Disconnect from the Ghidra serverserver_repositories - List repositories on the connected serverserver_repository_create - Create a new repository on the serverserver_repository_file - Get file info from a server repositoryserver_repository_files - List files in a server repository folderserver_status - Check headless server connection statusserver_version_control_add - Add a file to version controlserver_version_control_checkout - Check out a version-controlled fileserver_version_control_undo_checkout - Undo a file checkoutserver_version_history - Get version history for a file
Debugger (Ghidra TraceRmi)
When the bridge's opt-in WinDbg debugger proxies are enabled (GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL or GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_TOOLS=1), a TraceRmi tool below that shares a proxy's name gets a _2 suffix (e.g. debugger_status_2), so both stay reachable.
debugger_dynamic_to_static - Translate a runtime dynamic address from the current trace back to a static Ghidra program address (GUI only)debugger_interrupt - Interrupt (break into) the running target (GUI only)debugger_launch - Launch an executable through Ghidra's Trace RMI debugger launcher (GUI only)debugger_launch_offers - List available debugger launch/attach options for the current program (GUI only)debugger_list_breakpoints - List all breakpoints in the current trace (GUI only)debugger_modules - List modules (DLLs/EXEs) loaded in the debugged process (GUI only)debugger_read_memory - Read memory from the debugged process (GUI only)debugger_registers - Read CPU registers from the current debug trace snapshot (GUI only)debugger_remove_breakpoint - Remove a breakpoint at an address (GUI only)debugger_resume - Resume execution of the debugged process (GUI only)debugger_set_breakpoint - Set a software execution breakpoint at an address in the trace (GUI only)debugger_stack_trace - Get the call stack backtrace for the current thread (GUI only)debugger_static_to_dynamic - Translate a static Ghidra program address to a runtime dynamic address in the current trace (GUI only)debugger_status - Get debugger status: active trace, thread, execution state, module count (GUI only)debugger_step - Single-step the debugged process: into the next instruction (follows calls), over it (does not follow calls), or out of the current function (run to return) (GUI only)debugger_traces - List all open debug traces (GUI only)
System
prompt_policy - Temporarily enable, disable, or query scoped automation prompt handling (GUI only)
Bridge Static Tools
Defined in the Python bridge itself (instance discovery, tool-group management); always available even before a Ghidra connection. The bridge can also proxy 22 debugger_* WinDbg tools to an external debugger server; they are off by default and register only when GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL is set or GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_TOOLS=1.
check_tools - Report which tools are currently registered and callableconnect_instance - Connect the bridge to a specific Ghidra instanceimport_file - Import a binary from disk into the current project and open itlist_instances - Discover running Ghidra MCP instances (UDS + TCP port scan)list_tool_groups - List tool groups and their load stateload_tool_group - Register a tool group's dynamic tools with the MCP clientsearch_tools - Search the full tool catalog by keywordunload_tool_group - Unregister a tool group's dynamic tools
See CHANGELOG.md for version history.
🏗️ Architecture
┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ AI/Automation │◄──►│ MCP Bridge │◄──►│ Ghidra Plugin │
│ Tools │ │ (bridge_mcp_ │ │ (GhidraMCP.jar) │
│ (Claude, etc.) │ │ ghidra/) │ │ │
└─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
│ │ │
MCP Protocol HTTP REST Ghidra API
(stdio/streamable-http) (localhost:8089) (Program, Listing)
Components
- python/bridge_mcp_ghidra/ — Python MCP server package (ships as the
ghidra-mcp-bridge wheel; bridge-mcp-ghidra console script) that translates MCP protocol to HTTP calls (209 catalog entries)
- GhidraMCP.jar — Ghidra plugin that exposes analysis capabilities via HTTP (205 endpoints)
- GhidraMCPHeadlessServer — Standalone headless server — 190 endpoints, no GUI required
- ghidra_scripts/ — Collection of automation scripts for common tasks
🔧 Development
Building from Source
# Recommended: direct Python-first workflow
python -m tools.setup ensure-prereqs --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
python -m tools.setup build
python -m tools.setup deploy --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
# Version bump (updates all maintained version references atomically)
python -m tools.setup bump-version --new X.Y.Z
Both Java backends are maintained. Gradle (./gradlew, wrapper committed) is the default for local work and writes to build/; CI builds and gates with Maven, which writes to target/. tools.setup routes through Maven unless TOOLS_SETUP_BACKEND=gradle. Three things exist only under Maven: regenerating tests/endpoints.json (mvn test -Dtest=RegenerateEndpointsJson -Dregenerate=true), the JaCoCo coverage gate, and the headless/docker build profiles.
Command Reference
| Command | What it does |
|---|
ensure-prereqs | Install Python deps + Ghidra Maven JARs in one shot. Start here on a new machine. |
preflight | Validate Python, build tool, Ghidra path, and JAR availability without making changes. Add --strict to also check network reachability. |
build | Build the plugin JAR and extension ZIP via Maven (or Gradle when TOOLS_SETUP_BACKEND=gradle). |
deploy | Copy the built extension into the Ghidra profile and patch FrontEndTool.xml for auto-activation. |
start-ghidra | Launch the configured Ghidra installation. |
clean | Remove the selected backend's build output (target/, or build/ under Gradle). |
clean-all | Remove build outputs plus local cache artifacts (.m2 Ghidra JARs, etc.). |
install-ghidra-deps | Install only the Ghidra JARs into ~/.m2. Useful when the build environment changes. |
install-python-deps | Install the Python dependency groups via uv sync. |
run-tests | Run the backend's whole Java test task (mvn test, or gradlew test under Gradle). The integration classes in it need a live Ghidra on port 8089. |
verify-version | Check pom.xml's Ghidra version against the --ghidra-path installation (same major.minor series passes). |
bump-version --new X.Y.Z | Atomically update all version references. Pass --tag to create a git tag. |
Common flags accepted by most commands:
| Flag | Description |
|---|
--ghidra-path PATH | Ghidra installation directory. Defaults to GHIDRA_PATH from .env. |
--dry-run | Print actions without executing them. |
--force | Reinstall Ghidra JARs even if already present (install-ghidra-deps, ensure-prereqs). |
--with-debugger | Force-install debugger Python requirements (Windows only). |
--use-debugger-toggle | Read INSTALL_DEBUGGER_DEPS from .env to decide whether to install debugger deps. |
--test TIER | (deploy only) Opt into live deploy regression tiers such as release or debugger-live. |
--strict | (preflight only) Also check network reachability for Maven Central and PyPI. |
Deploy test tiers are opt-in because benchmark tiers can import/reset
Benchmark.dll and BenchmarkDebug.exe in the active Ghidra project. Use
--test release before cutting releases, or set
GHIDRA_MCP_DEPLOY_TESTS=release in a local .env when you want every deploy
on your machine to run the live benchmark regression. The value is validated
against the same tier list --test accepts, and an unknown tier is refused
rather than skipped. See Testing and Release Regression.
# Standard first-time setup and deploy
python -m tools.setup ensure-prereqs --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
python -m tools.setup build
python -m tools.setup deploy --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
# Preflight check before deploying
python -m tools.setup preflight --strict --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
# Version bump and tag
python -m tools.setup bump-version --new X.Y.Z --tag
# Run the Java test suite (integration classes need a live Ghidra)
python -m tools.setup run-tests
# Show full help
python -m tools.setup --help
Project Structure
ghidra-mcp/
├── pyproject.toml # uv project (ghidra-mcp-bridge wheel + dependency groups)
├── python/bridge_mcp_ghidra/ # MCP server package (Python, 209 catalog entries)
├── src/main/java/ # Ghidra plugin + headless server (Java)
│ └── com/xebyte/
│ ├── GhidraMCPPlugin.java # GUI plugin (205 endpoints)
│ ├── headless/ # Headless server (190 endpoints)
│ └── core/ # Shared service layer (`*Service.java`, `@McpTool`-annotated)
├── ghidra_scripts/ # Automation scripts for batch workflows
├── tests/ # Python unit tests + endpoint catalog
│ ├── unit/ # Catalog consistency, schema, tool function tests
│ └── endpoints.json # Endpoint catalog (the authoritative tool list)
├── docs/ # Documentation
│ ├── prompts/ # AI workflow prompts (V5 documentation workflows)
│ ├── releases/ # Version release notes
│ └── project-management/ # Contributor planning docs (Gradle migration, etc.)
├── tools/setup/ # Build and deployment CLI (python -m tools.setup)
├── docker/ # Headless server + bridge containers
└── .github/workflows/ # CI/CD pipelines
Library Dependencies
Under the Maven backend, Ghidra JARs must be installed into your local Maven repository (~/.m2/repository) before compilation.
This is a one-time setup per machine, and again when your Ghidra version changes.
ensure-prereqs does it for you; Gradle needs no such step, because it reads the jars from the installation.
The tool enforces version consistency between:
pom.xml (ghidra.version)--ghidra-path version segment (e.g., ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC)
If they are not in the same major.minor series, deployment fails fast with a clear error (a different patch release of the same series is accepted).
Troubleshooting: Version Mismatch
If you see a version mismatch error, align both values:
pom.xml → ghidra.version--ghidra-path version segment (ghidra_X.Y.Z_PUBLIC)
Then rerun:
python -m tools.setup preflight --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
# Windows
python -m tools.setup install-ghidra-deps --ghidra-path "C:\path\to\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC"
Required Libraries (18 JARs, as listed in tools/setup/ghidra.py):
| Library | Source Path | Purpose |
|---|
| Base.jar | Features/Base/lib/ | Core Ghidra functionality |
| Decompiler.jar | Features/Decompiler/lib/ | Decompilation engine |
| PDB.jar | Features/PDB/lib/ | Microsoft PDB symbol support |
| FunctionID.jar | Features/FunctionID/lib/ | Function identification |
| SoftwareModeling.jar | Framework/SoftwareModeling/lib/ | Program model API |
| Project.jar | Framework/Project/lib/ | Project management |
| Docking.jar | Framework/Docking/lib/ | UI docking framework |
| Generic.jar | Framework/Generic/lib/ | Generic utilities |
| Utility.jar | Framework/Utility/lib/ | Core utilities |
| Gui.jar | Framework/Gui/lib/ | GUI components |
| FileSystem.jar | Framework/FileSystem/lib/ | File system support |
| Graph.jar | Framework/Graph/lib/ | Graph/call graph analysis |
| DB.jar | Framework/DB/lib/ | Database operations |
| Emulation.jar | Framework/Emulation/lib/ | P-code emulation |
| Help.jar | Framework/Help/lib/ | Help system |
| Debugger-api.jar | Debug/Debugger-api/lib/ | Debugger service API |
| Framework-TraceModeling.jar | Debug/Framework-TraceModeling/lib/ | Debug trace model |
| Debugger-rmi-trace.jar | Debug/Debugger-rmi-trace/lib/ | Trace RMI debugger connection |
Note: Libraries are NOT included in the repository (see .gitignore). You must install them from your Ghidra installation before building.
Automation entry point:
python -m tools.setup is the supported setup/build/deploy/versioning interface- use
ensure-prereqs, build, deploy, preflight, clean-all, and bump-version directly
- these commands use Maven unless
TOOLS_SETUP_BACKEND=gradle is set
Development Features
- Automated Deployment: Version-aware deployment script
- Batch Operations: Reduces API calls by 93%
- Atomic Transactions: All-or-nothing semantics
- Comprehensive Logging: Debug and trace capabilities
📚 Documentation
Core Documentation
AI Workflow Prompts
Release History
🐳 Headless Server (Docker)
GhidraMCP includes a headless server mode for automated analysis without the Ghidra GUI.
Headless API Workflow
AUTH="Authorization: Bearer $GHIDRA_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN"
# 1. Import a binary into the open project (auto-analysis runs by default)
curl -X POST -H "$AUTH" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"file_path": "/data/program.exe"}' http://localhost:8089/import_file
# 2. Re-run auto-analysis later if needed
curl -X POST -H "$AUTH" http://localhost:8089/run_analysis
# 3. List discovered functions
curl -H "$AUTH" "http://localhost:8089/find_functions?limit=20"
# 4. Decompile a function
curl -H "$AUTH" "http://localhost:8089/get_functions?function=0x401000&fields=decompiled_code"
# 5. Get metadata
curl -H "$AUTH" http://localhost:8089/get_metadata
Key Headless Endpoints
| Endpoint | Method | Description |
|---|
/import_file | POST | Import a binary into the project and open it |
/open_program | POST | Open a program already in the project (any program= also opens on demand) |
/run_analysis | POST | Run Ghidra auto-analysis |
/find_functions | GET | List or filter discovered functions |
/list_program_items | GET | kind=imports, exports, segments, classes, namespaces, data_items or external_locations |
/get_functions | GET | Decompiled code, signature, callers, callees and more for one or many functions (fields= picks) |
/create_function | POST | Create function at address |
/get_metadata | GET | Get program metadata |
/create_project | POST | Create a Ghidra project (headless only) |
/list_analyzers | GET | List available analyzers |
/server/status | GET | Check Ghidra Server connection |
Configuration
Environment variables for Docker:
GHIDRA_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN - Bearer token, required by the compose files (see above)GHIDRA_MCP_PORT - Server port (default: 8089)GHIDRA_MCP_BIND_ADDRESS - Bind address (default: 0.0.0.0 in Docker)JAVA_OPTS - JVM options (default: -Xmx4g -XX:+UseG1GC)
🤝 Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed contribution guidelines.
📄 License
This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.
🏆 Production Status
| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Version | 7.0.0 |
| MCP Tools | 209 fully implemented |
| GUI Endpoints | 205 (GhidraMCPPlugin) |
| Headless Endpoints | 190 (GhidraMCPHeadlessServer) |
| Compilation | ✅ 100% success |
| Batch Efficiency | 93% API call reduction |
| AI Workflows | 7 proven documentation workflows |
| Ghidra Scripts | Automation scripts included |
| Documentation | Comprehensive with AI prompts |
See CHANGELOG.md for version history and release notes.
🙏 Acknowledgments
This project was originally derived from LaurieWired/GhidraMCP in August 2025 and has since been substantially rewritten and extended. We acknowledge LaurieWired's original work as the starting point. See NOTICE for license attribution.
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👥 Contributors
This project has benefited from the work of dedicated contributors:
Core Contributors
@heeen — Significant contributions including:
- Fuzzy function matching and structured diff for cross-binary comparison (#13)
- Script execution improvements and bug fixes (#12)
- New API endpoints:
save_program, exit_ghidra, delete_function, create_memory_block, run_script_inline (#11)
- Architectural vision: annotation-driven design, UDS transport, Python bridge optimization proposals
@huehuehuehueing — Significant contributions including:
-
Address-space prefix support — added <space>:<hex> syntax (e.g., mem:1000, code:ff00) to address parsing across the entire endpoint surface, unlocking multi-space targets like embedded firmware (#84, closes #65)
-
Optional program parameter + required-param schema fixes — made program optional on every endpoint with a sane currentProgram fallback, and fixed several required-vs-optional schema bugs the catalog had inherited (#92)
-
Seeded #44 (data-type / enum tools) — the issue that motivated the v5.0 enum + struct enforcement layer
-
Ghidra Team - For the incredible reverse engineering platform
-
Model Context Protocol - For the standardized AI integration framework
-
Contributors - For testing, feedback, and improvements
🔗 Related Projects
- re-universe — Ghidra BSim PostgreSQL platform for large-scale binary similarity analysis. Pairs perfectly with GhidraMCP for AI-driven reverse engineering workflows.
- cheat-engine-server-python — MCP server for dynamic memory analysis and debugging.
Ready for production deployment with enterprise-grade reliability and comprehensive binary analysis capabilities.