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GhidraDev Eclipse Plugin

GhidraDev provides support for developing and debugging Ghidra scripts and modules in Eclipse.

The information provided in this document is effective as of GhidraDev 4.0.0 and is subject to change with future releases.

Table of Contents

  1. Change History
  2. Minimum Requirements
  3. Optional Requirements
  4. Installing
  5. GhidraDev Features
  6. Launching and Debugging Ghidra
  7. PyDev Support
  8. Upgrading
  9. Uninstalling
  10. Frequently Asked Questions
  11. Additional Resources
  12. Building

Change History

4.0.0:

  • GhidraDev has been upgraded to be compatible with Ghidra 11.2 and later. It is not backwards compatible with versions of Ghidra prior to 11.2. Older versions of GhidraDev will report an error when trying to link against Ghidra 11.2 or later.
  • GhidraDev now requires Eclipse 2023-12 4.30 or later.
  • GhidraDev now requires JDK 21.
  • Fixed an issue that could result in a GhidraHelpService exception when launching Ghidra. GhidraDev now properly enforces that Ghidra is only launched with Utility.jar on the initial classpath.

3.1.0:

  • GhidraDev has been upgraded to be compatible with Ghidra 11.1 and later. Older versions of GhidraDev will report an error when trying to link against Ghidra 11.1 or later.
  • GhidraDev now supports importing a Ghidra module source directory. This will work best with Ghidra module projects created from Ghidra 11.1 or later.
  • GhidraDev will now fail to launch Ghidra if a top-level build directory is detected. Presence of this intermediate build artifact can cause Ghidra to have runtime/debugging issues.

3.0.2:

  • GhidraDev no longer throws an IOException when performing a Link Ghidra action on a Ghidra project whose original Ghidra installation moved.
  • GhidraDev now prevents unsupported versions of PyDev from being used.

3.0.1:

  • Exporting a Ghidra Module Extension produces an intermediate build directory within the project. This build directory now gets automatically cleaned up to avoid Ghidra runtime/debugging issues.
  • GhidraDev now prevents unsupported Ghidra source repositories from being added as a Ghidra installations.

3.0.0:

  • GhidraDev now requires Eclipse 2021-12 4.22 or later.
  • GhidraDev now requires JDK 17.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause old extensions to incorrectly remain on the Ghidra project classpath after performing a Link Ghidra.

2.1.5:

  • Eclipse Python breakpoints now work when Eclipse installs PyDev in .p2 bundle pool directory.

2.1.4:

  • Fixed exception that occurred when performing a Link Ghidra on projects that use a Gradle classpath container.

2.1.3:

  • Fixed a bug that prevented Ghidra projects from recognizing extensions installed in the user's ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_<version>/Extensions directory.

2.1.2:

  • Fixed exception that occurred when creating a new Ghidra scripting project if a ~/ghidra_scripts directory does not exist.

2.1.1:

  • Python debugging now works when PyDev is installed via the Eclipse dropins directory.
  • Fixed a bug in the check that prevents Ghidra projects from being created within the Ghidra installation directory.

2.1.0:

  • Added support for Ghidra 9.1. GhidraDev 2.1.0 will be unable to create new Eclipse projects for versions of Ghidra earlier than 9.1.
  • Prevented Ghidra projects from being created inside of a Ghidra installation directory.
  • Added an Environments tab to the Ghidra run configuration for setting environment variables when launching Ghidra.

2.0.1:

  • Fixed exception that occurred when performing certain actions on a Ghidra project that was imported from a previously exported Archive File.

2.0.0:

  • Improved Ghidra module project starting templates for Analyzer and Plugin and added new templates for Loader, Exporter, and FileSystem.
  • When creating a new Ghidra project, there is now an option to automatically create a Ghidra run configuration for the project with a customizable amount of maximum Java heap space.
  • When creating a new Ghidra project, the project root directory now defaults to the workspace directory if a project root directory has never been set.
  • When creating a new Ghidra project, the add button in the Python Support wizard page now automatically adds the Jython interpreter found in the Ghidra installation directory to PyDev if PyDev does have any Jython interpreters configured.
  • A Ghidra project's dependencies that are also projects are now passed along to a launched Ghidra so Ghidra can discover those projects as potential modules.
  • The GhidraDev popup menu is now visible from within the Project Explorer (it was previously only visible in the Package Explorer).
  • A new page has been added to the Export Ghidra Module Extension wizard that allows the user to point to a specific Gradle installation.

1.0.2:

  • Fixed exception that occurred when performing a Link Ghidra on projects that specify other projects on their build paths.

1.0.1:

  • Initial Release.

Minimum Requirements

  • Eclipse 2023-12 4.30 or later
  • Ghidra 11.2 or later

Optional Requirements

  • PyDev 6.3.1 - 9.3.0 (more info)
  • Gradle - required version(s) specified by linked Ghidra release (more info)

Installing

GhidraDev can be installed either manually into Eclipse or automatically by Ghidra, depending on your uses cases. The following two sections outline both procedures.

Manual Installation in Eclipse

GhidraDev can be installed into an existing installation of Eclipse the same way most Eclipse plugins are installed. From Eclipse:

  1. Click Help -> Install New Software...
  2. Click Add...
  3. Click Archive...
  4. Select GhidraDev zip file from <GhidraInstallDir>/Extensions/Eclipse/GhidraDev/
  5. Click OK (name field can be blank)
  6. Check Ghidra category (or GhidraDev entry)
  7. Click Next
  8. Click Next
  9. Accept the terms of the license agreement
  10. Click Finish
  11. Check Unsigned table entry
  12. Click Trust Selected
  13. Click Restart Now

Automatic Installation through Ghidra

Ghidra has the ability to launch an externally linked Eclipse when certain actions are performed, such as choosing to edit a Ghidra script by clicking the Eclipse icon in the Ghidra Script Manager. Ghidra requires knowledge of where Eclipse is installed before it can launch it, and will prompt the user to enter this information if it has not been defined. Before Ghidra attempts to launch Eclipse, it will attempt to install GhidraDev into Eclipse's dropins directory if GhidraDev is not already installed.

GhidraDev Features

GhidraDev provides a variety of features for creating and interacting with Ghidra-related projects in Eclipse. GhidraDev supports creating both Ghidra script and Ghidra module projects. Ghidra scripts are typically designed as a single Java source file that is compiled by Ghidra at runtime and run through Ghidra's Script Manager or passed to the Headless Analyzer on the command line for execution. Ghidra modules are intended to represent larger, more complex features such as Analyzers or Plugins. When Ghidra modules are ready for production, they can be exported and installed into Ghidra as an "extension".

New Ghidra Script

Opens a wizard that creates a new Ghidra script with the provided metadata in the specified location. Ghidra scripts can be created in both Ghidra script and Ghidra module projects.

New Ghidra Script Project

Opens a wizard that creates a new Ghidra scripting project that is linked against a specified Ghidra installation. The project can be set up to develop scripts in both the user's home ghidra_scripts directory, as well as any scripts found in the Ghidra installation.

New Ghidra Module Project

Opens a wizard that creates a new Ghidra module project that is linked against a specified Ghidra installation. The project can be initialized with optional template source files that provide a good starting point for implementing advanced Ghidra features such as Analyzers, Plugins, Loaders, etc.

Import Ghidra Module Source

Opens a wizard that imports a Ghidra module source directory as a new Ghidra module project.

Export Ghidra Module Extension

Opens a wizard that exports a Ghidra module project as a Ghidra extension to the project's dist folder. The exported extension archive file can be distributed to other users and imported via Ghidra's front-end GUI. The export process requires Gradle, which is configured in the wizard. Note that the Gradle version to use is specified in the linked Ghidra release's <GhidraInstallDir>/Ghidra/application.properties file.

Link Ghidra

Links a Ghidra installation to an existing Java project, which enables Ghidra script/module development for the project. If a Ghidra installation is already linked to the project when this operation is performed, the project will be relinked to the specified Ghidra installation, which can be used to build the project for a different version of Ghidra, discover new Ghidra extensions that were later added to a Ghidra installation, or repair a corrupted project.

Preferences

  • Ghidra Installations: Add or remove Ghidra installations. Certain features such as creating Ghidra script/module projects require linking against a valid installation of Ghidra.
  • Script Editor: The port used by Ghidra to open a script in Eclipse. Must match the corresponding port in Ghidra's Eclipse Integration tool options. Disable this preference to prevent GhidraDev from listening on a port for this feature.
  • Symbol Lookup: The project name and port used by Ghidra to perform symbol lookup in Eclipse. Must match the corresponding port in Ghidra's Eclipse Integration tool options. Disable this preference to prevent GhidraDev from listening on a port for this feature. Symbol lookup requires the Eclipse CDT plugin to be installed (see optional requirements for supported versions).

Most GhidraDev features can also be accessed by right-clicking on appropriate project elements in Eclipse's Project/Package Explorer. For example, the Link Ghidra feature can be accessed by right-clicking on an existing Java project, and then clicking Ghidra -> Link Ghidra....

Launching and Debugging Ghidra

GhidraDev introduces two new run configurations to Eclipse which are capable of launching the installation of Ghidra that an Eclipse Ghidra project is linked to:

  • Ghidra: Launches the Ghidra GUI.
  • Ghidra Headless: Launches Ghidra in headless mode. By default, this run configuration will not have any program arguments associated with it, which are required to tell headless Ghidra what project to open, what scripts to run, etc. Newly created Ghidra Headless run configurations will have to be modified with the desired headless program arguments. For more information on headless command line arguments, see <GhidraInstallDir>/support/analyzeHeadlessREADME.html.

There are two ways to create Ghidra run configurations:

  1. Click Run -> Run Configurations...
  2. Right-click on Ghidra (or Ghidra Headless), and click New
  3. In the Main tab, click Browse... and select the Ghidra project to launch
  4. Optionally rename the new run configuration by editing the Name field at the top

Alternatively, you can right-click on any Ghidra project in the Eclipse package explorer, and then click Run As -> Ghidra.

To debug Ghidra, click Debug As -> Ghidra. GhidraDev will automatically switch Eclipse to the debug perspective.

NOTE: Ghidra can only be launched/debugged from an existing Eclipse Ghidra project. Launching Ghidra from Eclipse independent of a project is not supported.

PyDev Support

GhidraDev is able to integrate with PyDev to conveniently configure Python support into Ghidra script and module projects.

Installing PyDev

From Eclipse:

  1. Download PyDev (see optional requirements for supported versions)
  2. Unzip PyDev
  3. Click Help -> Install New Software...
  4. Click Add...
  5. Click Local...
  6. Select unzipped PyDev directory
  7. Click OK (name field can be blank)
  8. Uncheck Group items by category (if applicable)
  9. Check PyDev for Eclipse
  10. Click Next
  11. Click Next
  12. Accept the terms of the license agreement
  13. Click Finish
  14. Click Restart Now

Configuring PyDev

GhidraDev can add Python support to a Ghidra project when:

  • Creating a new Ghidra module project
  • Creating a new Ghidra script project
  • Linking a Ghidra installation to an existing Java project

In order for GhidraDev to add in Python support, PyDev must have a Jython interpreter configured. GhidraDev will present a list of detected Jython interpreters that it found in PyDev's preferences. If no Jython interpreters were found, one can be added from GhidraDev by clicking the + icon. When the + icon is clicked, GhidraDev will attempt to find the Jython interpreter bundled with the selected Ghidra installation and automatically configure PyDev to use it. If for some reason GhidraDev was unable to find a Jython interpreter in the Ghidra installation, one will have to be added manually in the PyDev preferences.

Upgrading

GhidraDev is upgraded differently depending on how it was installed. If GhidraDev was manually installed in Eclipse, it can be upgraded the same was it was installed.

If GhidraDev was automatically installed through Ghidra, it can be upgraded by simply removing the GhidraDev file from Eclipse's dropins directory before following one of the two techniques described in the Installing section.

Uninstalling

GhidraDev is uninstalled differently depending on how it was installed. If GhidraDev was manually installed in Eclipse, it can be uninstalled as follows from Eclipse:

  1. Click Help -> About Eclipse
    • For macOS: Eclipse -> About Eclipse
  2. Click Installation Details
  3. Select GhidraDev
  4. Click Uninstall...
  5. Select GhidraDev
  6. Click Finish
  7. Click Restart Now

If GhidraDev was automatically installed through Ghidra, it can be uninstalled by simply removing the GhidraDev file from Eclipse's dropins directory and restarting Eclipse. The dropins directory can be found at the top level of Eclipse's installation directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I've created a Ghidra script project. Where should I create my new scripts?
    • The best place to create your scripts in is your home ~/ghidra_scripts directory because Ghidra will automatically find them there without any additional configuration. By default, your Ghidra script project will have a folder named Home scripts which is linked to your home ~/ghidra_scripts directory. Either right-click on this folder in Eclipse and do GhidraDev -> New -> GhidraScript... or from the menu bar do GhidraDev -> New -> GhidraScript... and populate the Script folder box with your project's Home scripts folder.
  • How do I launch Ghidra in headless mode from Eclipse?
    • GhidraDev provides custom run configurations to launch Ghidra installations both in GUI mode and headlessly. See the Launching section for information on how to launch Ghidra from Eclipse.
  • Why doesn't my Ghidra module project know about the Ghidra extension I installed into my Ghidra installation?
    • You most likely installed the Ghidra extension after the Ghidra installation was linked to your Ghidra module project, which automatically happens when the project is created. Simply relink your Ghidra installation to the project, and your project will pick up any newly discovered Ghidra extensions.
  • Why doesn't GhidraDev support PyDev 10.0 or later?
    • PyDev dropped support for Python 2 in their 10.0 release. Ghidra currently does not support Python 3.

Additional Resources

For more information on the GhidraDev plugin and developing for Ghidra in an Eclipse environment, please see the Ghidra Scripting slide deck at <GhidraInstallDir>/docs/GhidraClass/Intermediate/Scripting.html.

Building

GhidraDev is currently built from Eclipse and distributed with Ghidra manually. Ideally we will use Gradle one day, but we aren't there yet. We do rely on gradle prepDev to generate the Eclipse project and build GhidraDev's dependencies though.

NOTE: Only "Eclipse for RCP and RAP Developers" has the ability to do the below instructions. The following instructions assume that you are using this version of Eclipse.

Importing GhidraDev Eclipse projects (they are deactivated by default):

  1. Run gradle eclipse -PeclipsePDE
  2. From Eclipse, File -> Import -> General -> Existing Projects into Workspace
  3. From the ghidra repo, import Eclipse GhidraDevFeature and Eclipse GhidraDevPlugin

Changing version number (GhidraDev is versioned independently of Ghidra):

  1. Open plugin.xml in the GhidraDevPlugin project
  2. In the Overview tab, update the Version field to x.y.z.qualifier and save
  3. Open feature.xmlin the GhidraDevFeature project
  4. In the Overview tab, update the Version field to x.y.z.qualifier and save
  5. Open category.xml in the GhidraDevFeature project
  6. Highlight ghidra.ghidradev (x.y.z.qualifier), and click Remove
  7. Highlight ghidra.ghidradev and click Add Feature
  8. Select ghidra.ghidradev (x.y.z.qualifer), click OK, and save
  9. Update the Change History section if necessary

Building from Eclipse:

  1. Do a gradle prepDev to ensure GhidraDev's dependencies are up-to-date
  2. File -> Export -> Plug-in Development -> Deployable features
  3. Check ghidra.ghidradev (x.y.z.qualifier)
  4. Select Archive file and choose a directory to save it to. Name it GhidraDev-x.y.z.zip.
  5. In the Options tab make sure things look like this:
    • Export source: UNCHECKED
    • Package as individual JAR archives: CHECKED
    • Generate p2 repository: CHECKED
    • Categorize repository: CHECKED + Browse to category.xml file in the GhidraDevFeature project
    • Qualifier replacement: CHECKED + clear field so default is used
    • Save as Ant script: UNCHECKED
    • Allow for binary cycles in target platform: CHECKED
    • Use class files compiled in the workspace: UNCHECKED
  6. Finish