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# Static-analysis provider evaluation
Status: the Ghidra read-only analysis provider is shipped on Linux x64 and has
an experimental Windows x64 P0 for approved native PE applications. It
validates an exact bring-your-own Ghidra 12.1.4/JDK 21 environment, resolves a
provider/version/profile commitment, runs one isolated read-only headless
import, and publishes 19 operation-level capabilities after the authenticated
post-analysis handshake.
The provider-neutral target, provider registry, deterministic target binding,
analysis-profile commitment, Evidence provenance, snapshot caching, and bounded
provider-process lifecycle foundations are implemented. The Ghidra launcher,
packaged Java bridge, doctor/setup projection, bounded client lifecycle, and
multi-target real Linux verifier, curated Windows CI, and controlled real
Windows verifier are also implemented. Program identity,
procedure/string/symbol inventory, memory blocks, address/name and
containing-procedure resolution, complete inventory search, function metadata,
decompilation, assembly, resolved calls, typed references, xrefs, CFG, and
function dossiers are admitted. A provider is not a drop-in replacement for
Hopper: every capability is mapped explicitly, with truthful `unavailable`,
unknown, or degraded results where the engine cannot provide equivalent
semantics.
[ADR-0001](adr/0001-provider-selection-and-analysis-profiles.md) fixes the
provider registry, deterministic selection, target binding, analysis profile,
snapshot migration, and compatibility semantics that implementation must
follow.
## Approved Ghidra v1 boundary
- Keep the existing provider-neutral CLI and MCP tool names.
- Bind one deep-analysis provider to a target for the target's lifetime; never
fail over silently between Hopper and Ghidra.
- Start with bring-your-own Ghidra and a compatible Java runtime. Setup must not
install or upgrade Java.
- Run Ghidra headlessly in an owned process with a private temporary project,
startup and cleanup deadlines, caller cancellation, and complete replies.
- Prefer a packaged Java bridge loaded through Ghidra's script path. PyGhidra
remains useful for prototypes but is not a mandatory production dependency.
- Treat authenticated `ping` and `shutdown` as lifecycle proof only. Inventory,
xref, CFG, and decompilation claims require separately admitted operation
contracts and real-provider conformance.
- Implement read-only inventories, assembly, decompilation, function metadata,
calls, references, containment, and complete inventory search first.
- Report GUI cursor/navigation and persistent mutation operations as unavailable
until their semantics and project ownership are explicitly designed.
- Verify real claims on Linux with at least two distinct source-owned binaries.
Verify the Windows host claim with the deterministic source-owned x86-64 PE
fixture and all admitted operations; compare normalized semantic facts rather
than provider-specific pseudocode text.
## Shipped foundation boundary
`GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR` must identify an extracted official 12.1.4 release;
optional `JAVA_HOME` must identify a 64-bit full JDK 21, otherwise doctor probes
`java`/`javac` or `java.exe`/`javac.exe` from `PATH`. Linux accepts x86, x86-64,
ARM, and ARM64 ELF, PE, and Mach-O executable targets. Windows P0 accepts only
native x86-64 PE applications and rejects DLLs, managed images, unknown roles,
other formats, and other architectures before launch.
The launcher creates one ephemeral runtime root with project,
home/cache/config/data/temp, logs, descriptor, endpoint, target snapshot, and
ownership manifest.
It passes `-readOnly` and `-deleteProject`, and uses Ghidra's default analysis
and resource settings; inherited Java option injection variables are cleared.
On Linux, the mode-0600 descriptor carries the random token without
exposing it in argv or environment and the Java bridge binds a mode-restricted
Unix socket. Windows uses authenticated IPv4 loopback with a strict token-free
endpoint record. Both transports report actual
Ghidra/language/compiler/analysis/import-digest metadata, accept only the exact
authenticated `ping`, `shutdown`, and ten
inventory plus nine function-analysis methods, and deletes the socket. Close,
cancellation, timeout,
malformed protocol, or process exit stops the owned process resources and
removes the entire runtime root. Windows P0 uses bounded `taskkill` tree
termination and explicitly does not claim Job Object, private-DACL, or
reparse-point authority; see [Windows Ghidra P0](windows-ghidra-p0.md).
The provider catalog lists only the 19 proved Ghidra operations. GUI cursor,
navigation, and mutation operations remain absent; the router therefore
reports them unavailable instead of borrowing Hopper semantics or inferring
capability from a successful import.
## Admitted inventory semantics
| Concern | Ghidra contract |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Program identity | One `analyzeHeadless` import produces exactly one Program; `list_documents` therefore returns exactly one name. |
| Addresses | Default memory uses lowercase `0x` hexadecimal. Non-default and external spaces use `<percent-encoded-space>:0x<hex>` and remain round-trippable. The handshake commits image base and default address-space name. |
| Symbols | `list_names` includes address-bearing memory and external symbols, including dynamic symbols, while excluding variable and no-address namespace records. Each item reports primary, dynamic, external, symbol type, and source facts. |
| Procedures | Both non-external and external functions are listed. A local thunk remains distinct from its resolved target; exact and qualified name lookup fails on ambiguity rather than guessing. |
| Strings | Only Ghidra-defined string `Data` is observed. Items report charset, byte length, and whether a required null terminator is missing. The API cannot distinguish a present terminator from fixed/Pascal layouts when no terminator is missing, so that state is named `present_or_not_required`. |
| Memory | Memory-block end addresses are exclusive. Read/write/execute, initialization, overlay, address space, and image base are direct Ghidra observations. |
| Inventory | Procedure, symbol, and string listings plus searches return the complete matching collection in one response; callers do not provide offsets or result-count limits. |
| Search | Literal and Java-regex searches scan the complete immutable inventory and return all matching entries inline. Search waits for a reply or caller cancellation; there are no caller-supplied offsets or result-count limits. |
| Analysis state | The socket is exposed only after default auto-analysis completes. Established operations wait for their reply or caller cancellation; there is no fixed response-size ceiling. |
## Admitted function-analysis semantics
| Concern | Ghidra contract |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Decompiler lifetime | One persistent `DecompInterface` is opened for the imported Program and disposed during bridge shutdown. Native decompilation has no fixed per-function deadline. External functions or functions without bodies return `null`; cancellation and native failure remain distinct. |
| Serialization | A FIFO sends one Program request at a time. Caller cancellation removes queued work promptly and is passed to active socket waits. This is an adapter safety commitment, not a claim that every Ghidra API is thread-safe. |
| Function identity | Every function result carries the entry address and Ghidra FunctionManager classification for external, thunk, and resolved thunk target. These are observations, not proof that unresolved targetless calls have been recovered. |
| Assembly and pseudocode | Assembly is complete Ghidra Listing text; pseudocode is Ghidra decompiler output. Neither is original source, and cross-provider comparison never treats Hopper and Ghidra text as equal or unequal semantic facts. |
| Instruction fast path | `read_function_instructions` returns every raw Listing instruction for the requested function without invoking the decompiler or whole-program name/string inventories. |
| Calls and references | Callers/callees contain only resolved functions. Reference edges preserve exact ReferenceManager type and call/jump/data/read/write/indirect/computed/conditional/terminal/external facts. Targetless computed flow remains unknown. Synthetic entry-point references without actionable memory sources are omitted explicitly. |
| CFG | Dossiers use `BasicBlockModel` and retain only non-call successors inside the function body. CFG topology is address-normalized for comparison; provider-specific block construction remains a declared difference. |
| Result extent | Function instruction scans and native API boundary observations do not use item-count caps or caller pagination. Responses contain the complete analysis result unless the caller cancels or the provider reports a failure. |
`npm run verify:ghidra` compiles the versioned C oracles into x86-64 debug and
stripped ELF, AArch64 ELF, x86-64 PE, and x86-64 Mach-O targets. It proves all
19 operations, external functions, resolved thunks, exports, stripped-name
behavior, direct and targetless indirect calls, typed references, strings/xrefs,
multi-block CFG, semantic enhanced workflows, cancellation, startup deadlines,
serialized concurrency, malformed-target rejection, profile identity, and
process/project cleanup against real Ghidra 12.1.4. Unit fixtures separately
cover startup deadlines, process exit, queued cancellation, and malformed wire
output.
`npm run verify:ghidra:windows` generates a deterministic source-owned native
x86-64 PE application, proves all 19 operations through the production Windows
launcher and loopback transport, checks target/snapshot/import SHA-256 linkage,
and requires project, endpoint, process, and runtime cleanup. Passing that lane
proves only the documented P0 boundary, not the remaining Windows security
gates.
## Shared provider-process foundation
`src/process/` now provides the mechanisms that a long-lived Hopper or Ghidra
adapter genuinely shares: POSIX run-token-authenticated process-group ownership,
ephemeral temporary runtime roots, one absolute startup deadline, correlated
request cancellation and lifecycle-deadline cleanup, bounded stdout and stderr retention with
exact byte counts, process-exit diagnostics, and bounded TERM-to-KILL shutdown.
Reusable fixtures exercise exit, timeout, cancellation, graceful termination,
forced termination, double-close, spawn failure, and resource release. Windows
P0 adds bounded process-tree termination as an explicitly weaker host backend;
Job Object ownership remains unimplemented.
The foundation does not define a bridge schema, socket framing, health payload,
analysis model, or shutdown acknowledgement. Hopper keeps its authenticated
NDJSON-over-Unix-socket protocol in `src/hopper/`; Ghidra has a separate strict
NDJSON protocol implemented by the packaged Java `HeadlessScript` and reuses
only the generic process mechanisms.
## Shortlist
| Provider | License / automation surface | What it brings | REA fit and blockers |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| [Ghidra](https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra) | Apache-2.0 source license; `analyzeHeadless`, Java APIs, and PyGhidra | Broad static analysis, many processors and formats, scripting, and project/database workflows | Read-only analysis shipped: exact BYO checks, isolated state and provider lifecycle, serial API queue, packaged bridge, 19 inventory/function operations, and real ELF/PE/Mach-O x86-64 plus AArch64 conformance. GUI and mutation semantics remain intentionally unavailable. |
| [Rizin](https://github.com/rizinorg/rizin) / [rz-pipe](https://github.com/rizinorg/rz-pipe) | Rizin repository contains LGPL-3.0 and GPL-3.0 components; `rizin`, `rz-bin`, and language bridges through `rzpipe` | Portable CLI analysis, disassembly/debugging, many architectures and file formats, JSON command output | Good candidate for a process-backed Linux provider and fast metadata fallback. License/component inventory must be preserved; command output needs version-pinned parsers and semantic conformance before evidence is trusted. |
| [LIEF](https://github.com/lief-project/LIEF) | Apache-2.0; C++, Python, and other bindings | Deterministic parsing and modification of ELF, PE, Mach-O, COFF, and related executable formats; headers, sections, symbols, relocations, and functions | Best near-term complement, not a decompiler replacement. It can cover format metadata and artifact evidence without a long-lived analysis process; function semantics, pseudocode, CFG, and cross-reference parity remain out of scope unless separately demonstrated. |
| [Binary Ninja](https://docs.binary.ninja/dev/index.html) | API/documentation components are MIT, while the analysis product is licensed by edition; commercial, Ultimate, or Headless license is required for headless automation | Python/Core/C++/Rust APIs, headless loading, IL layers, function analysis, plugins, and configurable analysis | Strong technical fit for a native provider, especially function dossiers. Commercial licensing, license-secret handling, native runtime packaging, and multithreaded lifecycle rules are material deployment blockers. |
## Recommended order
1. Use the implemented explicit provider registry and target binding without
changing Hopper behavior.
2. Maintain the admitted Ghidra function boundary through the shared
conformance corpus and add formats or semantics only after real proof.
3. Connect Electron/native-add-on application findings to the selected native
analysis provider without introducing provider-prefixed tools.
4. Evaluate LIEF or Rizin later as complementary metadata/disassembly providers,
and Binary Ninja as an optional licensed provider, using the same admission
gate.
## Required admission gate
Before implementation, an adapter proposal must provide:
- a capability matrix covering supported, unsupported, and degraded results;
- provider identity, version, analysis profile, target digest, authority,
limitations, and deterministic locations in every Evidence record;
- bounded subprocess or library lifetime, cancellation, timeouts, and cleanup;
- actionable local diagnostics that retain paths, digests, mismatch locations,
and provider metadata while redacting credentials, authorization headers,
license secrets, and other genuine secrets;
- the same source-owned fixture corpus across architectures and formats;
- repeatable checks for function identity, addresses, strings, names, xrefs,
CFG, and pseudocode wherever those capabilities are claimed.
These gates turn the accepted direction into verified capabilities rather than
prematurely claiming equivalence or redistribution support.
## Primary-source notes
- Ghidra 12.1.4 documents headless batch mode and its Java runtime requirements
in its [release-specific Getting Started guide](https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/Ghidra_12.1.4_build/GhidraDocs/GettingStarted.md);
the [official release](https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/releases/tag/Ghidra_12.1.4_build)
supplies the corresponding distribution and checksums.
- Rizin lists supported formats, architectures, tools, and `rzpipe` bridges in
its [repository README](https://github.com/rizinorg/rizin); `rz-pipe` documents
JSON command transport and pipe backends.
- LIEF's [format tutorial](https://lief.re/doc/stable/tutorials/01_play_with_formats.html)
and [Python API](https://lief.re/doc/latest/api/binary_abstraction/python.html)
document parsing and format-agnostic binary access.
- Binary Ninja documents its [headless automation model](https://docs.binary.ninja/dev/batch.html),
[edition licenses](https://docs.binary.ninja/about/license.html), and the
[MIT license for API/documentation components](https://docs.binary.ninja/about/open-source.html).
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