morluto
3afd8a16ee
* feat(evidence)!: give Evidence bundles a format revision owned by one module `src/domain/evidenceFormat.ts` owns Evidence format evolution. Bundles now carry `evidence_format: 1`; every bundle reader admits only the current revision and refuses an unmarked or other-revision bundle once, with the single recreate-observations guidance, instead of admitting earlier shapes one optional field at a time. The 6.7-era artifact inventory summary identities are no longer rebuilt: compare_artifacts checks the current projection only and reports a mismatch with the owner's guidance. The pre-6.6 identity diagnosis uses the same guidance. SQLite `worker_timeout_ms` and Dart AOT `string_pool.policy`, optional only for historical Evidence, are now required. BREAKING CHANGE: Evidence bundles written by REA 6.x (no `evidence_format`) are refused by import, comparison, reconstruction and analysis-snapshot readers as an integrity mismatch telling the caller to recreate the observations; re-exporting an earlier bundle does not update its format or identities. Bundles constructed by hand must include `"evidence_format": 1`. 6.7-era artifact summaries are refused by compare_artifacts, and SQLite and Dart AOT Evidence without the newly required fields fails validation. * fix(evidence): let the ledger application admit its bundle's format build_reconstruction_obligation_ledger registered the full bundle schema with the SDK, so an unmarked or other-revision bundle was refused as invalid_request before the format owner ran. Register it like coverage: the application parses the request envelope and admits the bundle. * feat(pcap)!: read capture Evidence through the current result schema only (#10879) Delete the pcap read-compatibility schema that defaulted executable identity for historical capture Evidence, and require query_labels_hex (null when unknown) now that every producer writes it. Evidence from an earlier format is refused at the bundle format owner; a record that omits these fields is reported as malformed instead of defaulted. BREAKING CHANGE: inspect_pcap_capture results always carry query_labels_hex, and analysis views no longer default missing tshark/capinfos identity fields. * feat(desktop)!: require the effective view policy in desktop state Evidence (#10886) inspect_desktop_application_state always records the complete policy it used, including sqlite_view_bytes. Drop the optional historical shape and the task draft's absent-policy branch. BREAKING CHANGE: desktop application state results without effective_view_policy, or with a policy missing sqlite_view_bytes, are refused as malformed. * feat(android)!: require component declaration facets and reference aggregates in Android Evidence (#10904) * feat(android)!: require component declaration facets and reference aggregates in Android Evidence The JADX producers always write the manifest component projection with every declaration facet, target_definition and direct_invokes_coverage. Require them, delete the duplicate observed component schema, drop the unknown declaration coverage that only described historical omission, and give manifest view results their explicit facet. BREAKING CHANGE: Android package, component and reference results missing these fields are refused as malformed; component declaration_coverage and its summary counts no longer include unknown; manifest view results always carry facet manifest. * refactor(android): parse package results with the domain schema directly * feat(browser)!: require the DOM length unit and redirect-scoped prior-hop facts (#10897) * feat(browser)!: require the DOM length unit and redirect-scoped prior-hop facts Both CDP producers always declare node_value_length_unit, and the observation session writes redirect_response on every redirect event and no other. Require the unit, drop the diff's absent-unit branch, and admit redirect_response exactly on redirect rows. BREAKING CHANGE: DOM snapshots without node_value_length_unit and redirect timeline rows without redirect_response are refused as malformed, including inline inspections passed to compare_web_captures. * docs(browser): drop the historical redirect_response omission note * feat(native)!: require native Evidence fields that were optional only for historical Evidence (#10946) Mach-O encryption, slice malformed cause, symbol runtime names and import facts; ELF export encoding facts and visibility; value-flow limits; load-image permissions and relocation symbols; Swift type-reference kind and GPU AMD target metadata are required. Legacy enum values (unrecorded, unknown visibility, undecodable, modinfo_field_exceeds_limit) and the retained schemas, view defaults and reinterpretations that served historical Evidence are deleted. BREAKING CHANGE: native records missing these fields are refused as malformed; recreate the observation.
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REA: Reverse Engineer Anything
One MCP for reverse engineering across binaries, applications, and runtime behavior.
See a feature you like. Understand how it works, down to the binary level.
Quick start · How REA works · What you can analyze · Showcases · Build RL environments · FAQ · Documentation
npx rea-agents setup
Important
Get REA from morluto/rea, rea.tools, or the rea-agents npm package. Follow the installation and release links from these official sources. A similar repository name or copied README does not establish that a download is official.
See a feature in an app that you want in your own product? Ask your agent to investigate it with REA. It can inspect the app without its source code, explain how the feature works, show the evidence, and build a version for your project.
REA connects your agent to tools for inspecting native binaries, JavaScript and Electron apps, .NET assemblies, and websites. You can also use the same tools from your terminal. Analysis runs locally, and results include the evidence and limitations behind each conclusion.
Setup registers REA with your agent and installs matching workflow instructions. Native analysis can use an existing Hopper, Ghidra, IDA or Kuna installation; setup can optionally install Hopper with approval. Static JavaScript analysis needs no native analysis engine.
Visit the REA website for setup instructions, illustrated guides, and real case studies.
Quick start
On Linux, Ghidra, JADX, firmware tool launches and static JavaScript/Electron
analysis require a procps-compatible system ps for process ownership
checks. Recovery steps are in docs/getting-started/installation.md under
"Linux owned-process prerequisite".
Set up your agent
With Node.js and npm installed, run:
npx rea-agents setup
Choose your agents, review the proposed changes, and approve them. Setup adds REA's MCP server and matching workflow instructions, with backups of existing configuration. Restart your agent afterward. Setup records the selected runtime and REA entry script directly. If acquired through a package runner, keep its cache entry available. Run package acquisition from a trusted directory outside the target project. Installation and recovery details are in the setup guide below.
Setup supports Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Grok Build and other agents. See installation and setup for provider configuration, manual MCP registration, Claude Code/Codex plugins, and the Cursor Marketplace plugin.
MCP uses compact input schemas by default to reduce context overhead. Set
REA_MCP_INPUT_SCHEMA_PROFILE=full in your MCP registration when you need the
complete advertised field guidance and nested validation details. Both profiles
keep the full tool set and canonical server validation. See
"Compact input schema profile" in the MCP contracts guide.
Complete output schemas are advertised by default. If your client caps the
complete tools/list frame, set REA_MCP_OUTPUT_SCHEMA_PROFILE=compact to
bound each advertised output schema, or off to omit output schemas entirely.
Both settings keep canonical server-side validation and complete structured
results. See "Output schemas" in the MCP contracts guide.
Ask your agent
Understand how search works in the Notes app, show me the evidence, and build a
similar feature for my project.
Replace Notes with your target app and the feature you want to understand.
Use the terminal
Inspect an extracted JavaScript/Electron app directory or ASAR:
npx -y rea-agents@latest analyze-javascript-application /absolute/path/to/app --json
The result includes modules, imports, Electron boundaries and their evidence.
Replace the path with your target, such as "D:/apps/example" on Windows.
To install the rea command for regular use:
npm install --global rea-agents
rea --help
For native analysis, configure a provider first. See the CLI and Evidence guide for native commands, provider selection, snapshots and scripting.
Update REA
REA changes quickly, and new releases include frequent bug fixes. Keep your installation up to date.
For a CLI installed with npm install --global or bun add --global:
rea update
rea --update is an alias for this verified workflow and accepts the same global
output flags. Use rea update when combining it with other command controls.
Updater commands retain at most 4 MiB of stdout and stderr combined. Oversized metadata replies are rejected after the command exits; verbose installs continue with bounded diagnostics. Human progress output respects terminal backpressure and waits for submitted writes to finish.
Bun global updates require Bun 1.2.17 or later. With an older Bun release,
upgrade Bun manually before running rea update.
To refresh your agent registrations and skill, run the setup command printed by the update.
If you use npx, update your agent setup with:
npx rea-agents@latest setup
Review the setup changes and restart your agent. For one-off CLI commands,
use npx rea-agents@latest followed by the command. With Bun, use
bunx rea-agents@latest in place of npx rea-agents@latest.
How REA works
Your agent calls REA through MCP to inspect the target and trace relevant code. REA returns findings with their evidence. The agent uses them to ask follow-up questions, explain the behavior, or write and test an implementation. CLI commands use the same workflows.
What you can analyze
REA requires Node.js 22.x (>=22.23.4), 24.x (>=24.22.1), or 26.12.1+, plus npm. Additional tools and host support depend on the target:
| Target | What REA returns | Requirements and guide |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop installations | Runtime candidates, supporting files, component markers and next probes | Built-in bounded directory/header inspection; desktop applications |
| Native binaries | Pseudocode, assembly, strings, symbols, calls and references | Hopper, Ghidra, IDA or Kuna; native analysis |
| Offline ELF layout | Sections, segments, original symbols/relocations and static mitigation candidates | Caller-supplied pwntools on Linux x64; binary diagnostics |
| Go binaries | Embedded compiler version, modules, replacements and build settings | Built-in static ELF/PE/thin Mach-O inspection; no Go installation required |
| GPU code objects | CUDA/HIP targets, selected kernel parameters and resources, retained PTX text | Built-in static ELF/PE/fatbin/CUBIN/PTX inspection; GPU code objects |
| Model artifacts | GGUF / safetensors metadata, tensor declarations and derived totals | Built-in header inspection; optional full-file hash; model files |
| IL2CPP metadata | Unity global-metadata.dat assembly images, type and method names and index ranges | Built-in static decoding of versions 24, 27, 29, 31 and 39; no Unity required |
| Godot PCK | Archive inventory and extraction, original header/directory facts and selected content identities | Built-in static formats 2, 3 and 4; no Godot required |
| Rust binaries | Embedded cargo-auditable crate names, versions, sources and dependency edges | Built-in static ELF/PE/thin Mach-O inspection; Rust binaries |
| PE certificates | Authenticode WIN_CERTIFICATE entries and PKCS#7 signer/X.509 identity fields | Built-in static PE inspection; PE certificates |
| PE imports | Import and delay-load DLL names, ordinals, IAT RVAs and pefile import hash | Built-in static PE inspection; PE imports |
| Windows shortcuts | Shell Link target, arguments, working dir, ExtraData and Tracker droid facts | Built-in static LNK inspection; Windows shortcuts |
| ELF notes | PT_NOTE/SHT_NOTE owners, types, GNU build-id and ABI-tag fields | Built-in static ELF inspection; ELF notes |
| Binary hardening | PIE, NX, RELRO, CFG and related header flags for ELF, PE and Mach-O | Built-in static header inspection; binary hardening |
| Apple IPS crashes | .ips metadata, threads, images, registers and documented crash classes | Built-in static JSON inspection; Apple IPS |
| Linux kernel modules | .modinfo keys, __versions CRCs, this_module presence, and signature trailer | Built-in static ELF inspection; kernel modules |
| Erlang BEAM | IFF chunks, atoms, exports, imports, lambdas and the Code header | Built-in static BEAM inspection; Erlang BEAM |
| WASM artifact | Validation, sections, exact import/export WAT forms and decoded WAT | Caller-supplied WABT 1.0.42; inspect_wasm_artifact |
| EVM bytecode | Dispatch selectors, byte offsets, inferred arguments and mutability | Local raw/hex carrier on Linux x64; offline EVM guide |
| SQLite databases | Tables, columns, indexes, views, triggers and selected ordinary-table rows | Local database/WAL snapshot; Node.js 24.x >=24.15 or 26+ with native SQLite limits |
| Recorded Linux crashes | Raw notes, every recorded thread's registers/signals and optional mapping candidates | Caller-supplied pwntools on Linux x64; optional GDB/pwndbg; recorded crashes |
| JavaScript / Electron | Modules, imports, source maps, routes, IPC, native add-ons, rea audit-release-exposure |
Node.js and npm; Linux: procps-compatible ps; application analysis |
| Websites | Page structure, scripts, network observations and requested screenshots | A Chrome-family browser; browser analysis |
| Saved network captures | Requests, responses, exposed payloads and source locations | HAR or Fiddler Everywhere SAZ; mitmdump on Linux for native mitmproxy; capture guide |
| .NET assemblies | Metadata, CIL instructions, declared native dependencies and build comparisons | None (static only); managed-code guide |
| Android APKs | Manifest declarations, classes, decompiled methods and references | Headless JADX and a full JDK on Linux/macOS/Windows x64; Android guide |
| APK signatures | v1/v2/v3/v3.1 signers, certificate fingerprints, key rotation and digest self-consistency | None (static only); inspect_apk_signature |
| Android devices | Devices, packages, processes, logs, dumps, screen captures, and APK/file transfers | Caller-supplied adb (emulator or hardware); ADB guide |
| JEB projects | Engine-backed project units, artifact digests and type/method pseudo-code | A caller-started JEB client serving MCP, selected with REA_JEB_MCP_URL; JEB guide |
| Android resources | Decoded manifest, string tables, locales and version facts | Caller-supplied Apktool launcher; resource guide |
| Flutter apps | Dart snapshot hash, per-ABI library digests and engine build provenance | None (static APK parsing); Flutter guide |
| Firmware | Regions, extraction results and native-analysis handoffs | Binwalk / Unblob on Linux; firmware guide |
| Recorded packets | Selected fields, repeated values, filters and decode-as rules | Linux: TShark 4.x + prlimit; capture guide |
| Packet summaries | Endpoints, DNS, TLS SNI, protocol distribution and HTTP requests | Caller-supplied tshark and capinfos (Linux-verified); pcap guide |
| Recorded logic signals | Decoder annotations, sample ranges and diagnostics | Linux: sigrok-cli 0.7.2 + prlimit; signal recordings |
| Packages and resources | File inventories, digests, plists, Apple bundle anatomy and extracted resources | Artifact and JavaScript guide, Apple applications |
| Process behavior | Terminal output, interactions, exit and filesystem observations, and run comparisons | Linux/macOS with a native PTY; process capture |
| PyInstaller executables | CArchive members, Python version, entry scripts and extracted bytecode | None (static only); Python packaged applications |
| Deno compile binaries | Virtual files, entry point, recorded options, npm snapshot length | None (static only); Deno compile executables |
Static JavaScript and .NET inspection read the supplied files without running the application. Runtime capture runs or interacts with the selected target using your user permissions; each runtime guide describes its effects.
For offline native-binary inspection, REA also supports caller-supplied GNU objdump and Rizin. See the reverse-engineering tools guide for provider setup, CLI commands, and Evidence limitations. REA does not install or update either provider.
Native formats and host support vary by provider. See
Hopper and Ghidra setup, the
IDA guide (including an optional native MCP bridge), the
Kuna decompiler guide, and
experimental Windows Ghidra support.
Ghidra also supports 16-bit DOS analysis.
For large binaries, raise the provider's startup deadline with
REA_GHIDRA_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_MS or REA_HOPPER_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_MS.
For provider selection, see the CLI guide.
Check release availability
for features added since the latest npm release.
Showcases
DX-Ball: reconstruct a sound-pan calculation
Follow a sound call into its position-to-pan helper, inspect the instructions, and turn incomplete pseudocode into C. The reconstruction passes 3,205 original-x86 cases and reproduces all 63 compiled function bytes.
Read the case study · Reconstruction repository
Notion: trace the Electron clipboard bridge
Find the renderer's clipboard API, follow it through preload and IPC into the main process, and inspect the rich clipboard format.
TH04: recover a DOS bullet-ring calculation
Inspect the original PC-98 game's 16-bit instructions, recover the fixed and aimed angle calculations, and compare the reconstructed C++ with the historical compiler output.
Read the case study · Reconstruction repository
Build RL environments with REA
Record a web app session, turn its API into tools, and export an environment an AI agent can use. Run it with AgentEnv, then add tasks and reward checks for RL training or evaluation.
Read the guide · Watch the video
If you've used REA on something interesting, we'd love to see it. Share your case in an issue or a pull request, including the target, your question, how REA helped, and what you found.
Build RL environments
Give an AI agent a local environment to practice tasks such as finding an issue or creating a folder, without running the original app. Use it for reinforcement learning (RL) or to test how well an agent completes tasks.
REA turns recorded API requests and responses into tools the agent can call. The environment uses the recorded data and supports changes only when the recording confirms their effects.
With REA set up in your agent, replace the example URL and folder tasks below with your own:
Use REA to build an RL environment from my test web app at
http://127.0.0.1:3000.
Cover listing, creating, renaming, and deleting folders. You may create and
remove test folders. Leave existing data unchanged.
Save it in a folder named my-env. Check which operations work and tell me
how to run it.
Use the command line instead
Use these commands if you already have a file containing the app’s recorded browser requests and responses. Running the result also requires AgentEnv and Docker.
rea environment-build ./session.har ./my-env --name my-env --json
agent-env run ./my-env
REA exports a runnable environment with a basic test to check that it starts and responds. Use it with your RL framework to define task goals, add reward checks, and run training.
Build an environment · Environment reference · Watch the demo on X
Desktop app environments
REA can also build an environment of a Linux desktop app, which an agent uses through screenshots, the mouse and the keyboard. From a one-line request, such as "Build me a Gnote environment where the agent adds olive oil to the shopping list note", your agent installs the app on a local build computer, writes the task, exports the environment and checks the task in a fresh computer. The machine that builds it needs Linux on amd64 or arm64, Docker and the agentenv framework version the guide pins.
Set up desktop app environments
FAQ
Which agents can use REA?
Any agent that supports local MCP servers. Setup configures the supported agents; other clients can use manual MCP registration.
Do I need a native analysis engine?
Deep native analysis uses Hopper, Ghidra, IDA or Kuna, depending on the target and operation. Static JavaScript and .NET inspection work without a native analysis engine. Setup can install Hopper after approval; Ghidra, IDA and Kuna use your existing installations. See provider setup for the options and their supported targets.
Do I need to start Hopper first?
REA starts Hopper when an operation needs it. On macOS, a first-run dialog may ask you to choose demo mode or activate your license. Complete that prompt in the same user session before your first CLI/MCP operation or unattended job. Open Hopper manually if needed. See Hopper startup and troubleshooting.
What does installing the skill from skills.sh do?
The skill supplies investigation instructions for your agent. Use npx rea-agents setup
to register REA's MCP server and install the matching instructions, then restart
your agent. See skill-only installation.
What code does REA return?
Native analysis returns pseudocode and assembly. JavaScript/Electron analysis recovers modules and their relationships. Your agent uses these findings to write and test an implementation; the showcases give worked examples.
Does REA upload my app?
REA analyzes targets locally. Your agent receives the tool results, and its model provider has its own data policy.
What should I do if I hit a bug?
Update first; a recent release may already fix it.
For a CLI installed with npm install --global or bun add --global:
rea update
For agent setup through npx:
npx rea-agents@latest setup
If you're using an agent, complete the setup refresh and restart it. Retry the same task. If the problem persists, open an issue with your REA version, target type, steps to reproduce and error output.
Documentation
Start with the website's worked guides. For exact options, prerequisites and result contracts:
- Installation and setup: agent registration, provider configuration, updates and uninstall.
- Readiness and troubleshooting: diagnose one agent or analysis engine.
- CLI and Evidence: commands, provider selection, snapshots, import/export and exit statuses.
- MCP contracts and agent prompts: tool results, sessions and guided investigations.
- Tool catalog: generated inventory of tools, providers and CLI commands.
- Roadmap: planned work and capability trackers.
Report vulnerabilities through SECURITY.md.
Star history
🎉 400,000 GitHub stars — thank you!
Thanks to everyone using REA, reporting bugs, requesting features, testing builds, and contributing fixes.
Disclaimer
See DISCLAIMER.md for responsible-use guidance.
The project's position on illegal or unauthorized use covers all REA versions, distribution channels, and platforms; each copy retains its applicable licenses.
REA is for lawful research, education, interoperability, software preservation, and analysis of software you own or are authorized to examine.
Contributing
We'd love your help with REA! Open an issue to report a bug or suggest a feature, or send a pull request to improve the code or docs.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and checks, testing for verification lanes, and the architecture map for selected layers and dependency paths.
License
REA-authored code is licensed under MIT. Third-party material retains its own licenses and copyright notices; see Third-party notices for the dependency inventory, preserved license texts, and external-tool terms.
You must legally obtain and be authorized to use commercial tools, including IDA Pro / Hex-Rays decompilers, Hopper, and JEB, under their applicable licenses. REA grants no tool license, key, or activation entitlement. Trials and demos remain subject to vendor terms, including user, feature, automation, and output sharing restrictions. Cracked copies, stolen keys, unauthorized key sharing, and bypassing license restrictions are not authorized. This guidance does not amend MIT or third-party licenses.