Ghidra Headless Analysis

Perform automated reverse engineering using Ghidra’s analyzeHeadless tool. Import binaries, run analysis, decompile to C code, and extract useful information.

When to Use

• Decompiling a binary to C pseudocode for review
• Extracting function signatures, strings, or symbols from executables
• Analyzing call graphs to understand binary control flow
• Triaging unknown binaries or firmware images
• Batch-analyzing multiple binaries for comparison
• Security auditing compiled code without source access

When NOT to Use

• Source code is available — read it directly instead
• Interactive debugging is needed — use GDB, LLDB, or Ghidra GUI
• The binary is a .NET assembly — use dnSpy or ILSpy
• The binary is Java bytecode — use jadx or cfr
• Dynamic analysis is required — use a debugger or sandbox

Quick Reference

Prerequisites

• Ghidra must be installed. On macOS: brew install --cask ghidra
• Java (OpenJDK 17+) must be available

The skill automatically locates Ghidra in common installation paths. Set GHIDRA_HOME environment variable if Ghidra is installed in a non-standard location.

Main Wrapper Script

{baseDir}/scripts/ghidra-analyze.sh [options] <binary>

Wrapper that handles project creation/cleanup and provides a simpler interface to analyzeHeadless.

Options:

• -o, --output <dir> — Output directory for results (default: current dir)
• -s, --script <name> — Post-analysis script to run (can be repeated)
• -a, --script-args <args> — Arguments for the last specified script
• --script-path <path> — Additional script search path
• -p, --processor <id> — Processor/architecture (e.g., x86:LE:32:default)
• -c, --cspec <id> — Compiler spec (e.g., gcc, windows)
• --no-analysis — Skip auto-analysis (faster, but less info)
• --timeout <seconds> — Analysis timeout per file
• --keep-project — Keep the Ghidra project after analysis
• --project-dir <dir> — Directory for Ghidra project (default: /tmp)
• --project-name <name> — Project name (default: auto-generated)
• -v, --verbose — Verbose output

Built-in Export Scripts

ExportAll.java

Runs summary, decompilation, function list, strings, and interesting-pattern exports. Does not include call graph or symbols — run ExportCalls.java and ExportSymbols.java separately if needed. Best for initial analysis.

Output files:

• {name}_summary.txt — Overview: architecture, memory sections, function counts
• {name}_decompiled.c — All functions decompiled to C
• {name}_functions.json — Function list with signatures and calls
• {name}_strings.txt — All strings found (plain text; use ExportStrings.java for JSON)
• {name}_interesting.txt — Functions matching security-relevant patterns

{baseDir}/scripts/ghidra-analyze.sh -s ExportAll.java -o ./analysis firmware.bin

ExportDecompiled.java

Decompile all functions to C pseudocode.

Output: {name}_decompiled.c

ExportFunctions.java

Export function list as JSON with addresses, signatures, parameters, and call relationships.

Output: {name}_functions.json

ExportStrings.java

Extract all strings (ASCII, Unicode) with addresses.

Output: {name}_strings.json

ExportCalls.java

Export function call graph showing caller/callee relationships. Includes full call graph, potential entry points, and most frequently called functions.

Output: {name}_calls.json

ExportSymbols.java

Export all symbols: imports, exports, and internal symbols.

Output: {name}_symbols.json

Common Workflows

Analyze an Unknown Binary

mkdir -p ./analysis
{baseDir}/scripts/ghidra-analyze.sh -s ExportAll.java -o ./analysis unknown_binary
cat ./analysis/unknown_binary_summary.txt
cat ./analysis/unknown_binary_interesting.txt

Analyze Firmware

{baseDir}/scripts/ghidra-analyze.sh \
    -p "ARM:LE:32:v7" \
    -s ExportAll.java \
    -o ./firmware_analysis \
    firmware.bin

Quick Function Listing

{baseDir}/scripts/ghidra-analyze.sh --no-analysis -s ExportFunctions.java -o . program
cat program_functions.json | jq '.functions[] | "\(.address): \(.name)"'

Find Specific Patterns

# After running ExportDecompiled, search for patterns
grep -n "password\|secret\|key" output_decompiled.c
grep -n "strcpy\|sprintf\|gets" output_decompiled.c

Architecture/Processor IDs

Common processor IDs for the -p option:

Troubleshooting

Ghidra Not Found

{baseDir}/scripts/find-ghidra.sh
# Or set GHIDRA_HOME if in non-standard location
export GHIDRA_HOME=/path/to/ghidra_11.x_PUBLIC

Analysis Takes Too Long

{baseDir}/scripts/ghidra-analyze.sh --timeout 300 -s ExportAll.java binary
# Or skip analysis for quick export
{baseDir}/scripts/ghidra-analyze.sh --no-analysis -s ExportSymbols.java binary

Out of Memory

Set before running:

export MAXMEM=4G

Wrong Architecture Detected

Explicitly specify the processor:

{baseDir}/scripts/ghidra-analyze.sh -p "ARM:LE:32:v7" -s ExportAll.java firmware.bin

Tips

1. Start with ExportAll.java — gives everything; the summary helps orient
2. Check interesting.txt — highlights security-relevant functions automatically
3. Use jq for JSON parsing — JSON exports are designed to be machine-readable
4. Decompilation isn’t perfect — use as a guide, cross-reference with disassembly
5. Large binaries take time — use --timeout and consider --no-analysis for quick scans