io.github.getanirao/ghidra-retro-mcp

Ghidra BizHawk MCP

A unified MCP (Model Context Protocol) server bridging Ghidra's headless static analysis with BizHawk's live emulation — switch between decompiling a ROM and running it on real hardware in the same session.

GBA ROMs: If analyzing Game Boy Advance ROMs, install pudii/gba-ghidra-loader in your Ghidra installation for proper ROM header parsing, mirrored memory regions, and I/O register maps. The loader repository has pre-built .gpa files for Ghidra 11.x.

Prerequisites

Dependency	Version	Required	Notes
Python	>= 3.10	Yes	Runtime for the MCP server
Ghidra	11.x or 12.x	Yes	Headless or GUI install; GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR must point here
Java (JDK)	>= 17	Yes	Bundled with Ghidra; needed for JVM bridge
pyghidra	>= 3.0	Yes	Python-to-Ghidra bridge; installed automatically
BizHawk (EmuHawk)	Latest stable	No	Only needed for live emulation tools; BIZHAWK_EXE_PATH optional
Docker	Latest	No	Only needed for containerized deployment

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        MCP Client (Claude / Cursor)              │
│  sends JSON-RPC over stdin/stdout                                │
└─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    ghidra-bizhawk-mcp                            │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│  │   MCP Server (server.py) — tool registry, stdio dispatch    ││
│  └──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘│
│                             │                                   │
│              ┌──────────────┴──────────────┐                    │
│              ▼                              ▼                   │
│  ┌────────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │   GhidraSession    │    │   BizhawkBridge              │    │
│  │   pyghidra → JVM   │    │   TCP client → localhost:8766│    │
│  │   decompile, etc.  │    └──────────────┬───────────────┘    │
│  └────────────────────┘                   │                     │
└───────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────┘
                                            │ TCP (newline-delimited JSON)
                                            ▼
                              ┌──────────────────────────────┐
                              │   BizHawk (EmuHawk.exe)       │
                              │   built-in socket server      │
                              │   ┌────────────────────────┐ │
                              │   │  bridge.lua            │ │
                              │   │  memory read/write     │ │
                              │   │  joypad, savestate     │ │
                              │   │  frame advance         │ │
                              │   └────────────────────────┘ │
                              └──────────────────────────────┘

Security Model

The MCP server communicates with the MCP client exclusively over stdin/stdout — no HTTP or network listener. The only local TCP socket is a loopback-only connection (127.0.0.1:8766) between the server and BizHawk's built-in Lua socket server. This is used solely for live-emulation features and is not exposed to the network.

Hardware & Retro Ecosystem Integration

ghidra-bizhawk-mcp includes native out-of-the-box support for retro-reversing automation pipelines via Ghidra's static analysis, plus live emulation via BizHawk's multi-system emulator. The server bundles:

• Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) via GhidraNes
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) via native 65816 memory maps
• Game Boy Advance (GBA) via gba-ghidra-loader
• Nintendo DS (NDS) via NTRGhidra
• Nintendo Switch via ghidra-switch-loader
• PlayStation 1 (PSX) via ghidra_psx_ldr
• Sega Genesis / Mega Drive via native 68000 memory maps
• Sega Master System / Game Gear via Ghidra-SegaMasterSystem-Loader
• Sega Dreamcast via native SuperH4 memory maps

Zero-Input Triage — Worked Example (GBA)

The primary entry point is triage_and_load_retro_rom. Call it with any ROM path and the server handles the rest:

# Auto-detect platform, map language, provision session
triage_and_load_retro_rom(rom_path="/data/game.gba")
# → platform: "Game Boy Advance (GBA)"
# → loader:   "GBA ROM Loader"
# → arch:     "ARM:LE:32:v4t"

# Decompile the main entry point on the same session
decompile_function(address="0x00001c2c")
# → decompiled C code for the GBA ROM entry routine

# Search for a known pattern (e.g. 32-bit ARM store-multiple)
search_bytes(pattern="09 08 00 01")
# → matching addresses labelled "gba_ram_start"

Execution Chaining Flow

Instead of forcing your AI agent to spend cycles manually identifying architecture maps, register layouts, or memory segments, chain the automated ingestion pipeline:

1. Invoke triage_and_load_retro_rom with a target file path.
2. The server headlessly parses the binary file structure (NES\x1a, NTR, NSO0, GBA, SNES title vectors, PS-X EXE, SEGA, TMR SEGA, SEGA ENTERPRISES), binds the matching Ghidra language module (6502:LE:16, ARM:LE:32:v4t, AARCH64:LE:64, 65816:LE:24, MIPS:LE:32, 68000:BE:32, Z80:16, SuperH4:LE:32), loads standard address memory blocks, and links automated signature cache arrays.
3. Use the integrated emulate_slice or emulate_slice_with_taint tools to analyze localized console loops — no physical console hardware or open GDB networking ports needed.

Triage Tool

Tool	Description
triage_and_load_retro_rom	Reads raw file magic bytes to detect NES, SNES, GBA, NDS, Switch, PSX, Genesis, SMS, or Dreamcast ROMs. Provisions a correctly-language-mapped Ghidra session and auto-restores cached function signatures. Returns platform, loader, architecture tag, and mapped memory blocks.

Quick Start

1. Install

pip install ghidra-bizhawk-mcp

Or from source:

git clone https://github.com/getanirao/ghidra-bizhawk-mcp.git
cd ghidra-bizhawk-mcp
pip install -e .

2. Set environment

# Required: point to your Ghidra installation
export GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR=/opt/ghidra_11.2    # Linux / macOS
set GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR=C:\Program Files\ghidra_11.2   # Windows

# Optional: enable live BizHawk emulation
export BIZHAWK_EXE_PATH=/path/to/EmuHawk.exe

# Optional: run in mock mode (no Ghidra/BizHawk needed)
export MOCK_MODE=1

3. Run

ghidra-bizhawk-mcp

The server listens on stdin/stdout — pipe it to any MCP-compatible client.

Docker

docker build -t ghidra-bizhawk-mcp .
docker run -i --rm -v /path/to/binaries:/data ghidra-bizhawk-mcp

The container bundles JDK 17, Ghidra 11.2, and the server — no host dependencies beyond Docker.

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Default	Description
GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR	Yes	—	Path to Ghidra installation (e.g. /opt/ghidra_11.2)
BIZHAWK_EXE_PATH	No	—	Path to EmuHawk.exe for live emulation features
MOCK_MODE	No	0	Set to 1 to run without Ghidra/BizHawk (for testing/CI)

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ghidra-bizhawk": {
      "command": "ghidra-bizhawk-mcp",
      "env": {
        "GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR": "/opt/ghidra_11.2"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to your Cursor MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ghidra-bizhawk": {
      "command": "ghidra-bizhawk-mcp",
      "env": {
        "GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR": "/opt/ghidra_11.2"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools

Session management

Tool	Description
analyze_binary	Import + analyze a binary, returns a session_id. Reuses the ID if provided, otherwise auto-generates.
list_sessions	List all active workspaces with their session IDs, binary paths, and load times.
close_session	Close a session and free its Ghidra project resources.

Most tools accept an optional session_id parameter — omit it to use the most recently loaded session.

Read / Analysis

Tool	Description
decompile_function	Decompile a function by name or address.
decompile_function_paginated	Decompile with line_start, line_end, max_tokens (token-budget truncation), and summarize (strips boilerplate locals + collapsing blank lines). Prevents context-window exhaustion.
get_data_types	List all data types defined in the program.
get_cross_references	Cross-references to/from an address.
get_call_graph	Recursive call graph + callers for a function.
analyze_and_decompile_entrypoints	Composite — bulk decompile all entry points (program entry, exports, main, _start, etc.) in one call.
generate_workspace_report	Produce a Markdown summary of the active workspace — entry points, function count, custom symbols, recovered structures, renamed functions, comments. Replaces a GUI CodeBrowser window.

Write / Mutation

Tool	Description
rename_symbol	Rename a function or label. Stored in the Ghidra project DB.
add_comment	Attach a comment (plate, pre, post, eol, repeatable).
create_struct	Create a custom structured data type from a JSON member layout [{offset, name, type}, ...]. Offsets are optional.
retype_variable	Re-type a local variable or function parameter (e.g. undefined4* → MyStruct*).

Assembly-level

Tool	Description
disassemble_range	Disassemble N raw instructions at an address — returns mnemonic, operands, hex bytes, and length for precise lower-level inspection.
get_listing_range	Raw hex + ASCII dump for a byte range, equivalent to Ghidra's Listing panel. Complements disassemble_range for data regions.

Byte-sequence search

Tool	Description
search_bytes	Search the entire binary for a hex byte pattern (e.g. 09 08 00 01 or F86D0003). Returns matching addresses with context bytes and any string label at the hit.

Binary diffing

Tool	Description
diff_binaries	Compare two loaded sessions by function name and body size. Returns functions unique to each side and changed functions.

Workspace Sessions

Each analyze_binary call creates a named session. Sessions keep their Ghidra project open independently, so multiple binaries can be loaded concurrently:

# Load two binaries into separate sessions
s1 = analyze_binary(binary_path="/bin/a.out")        # auto session_id
s2 = analyze_binary(binary_path="/bin/b.out", session_id="my_session")

# Operate on a specific session
decompile_function(function_name="main", session_id=s1.session_id)

# Diff them
diff_binaries(session_a=s1.session_id, session_b="my_session")

Deployment

Docker (multi-user / CI)

docker build -t ghidra-bizhawk-mcp .

# Run as an MCP subprocess
docker run -i --rm \
  -v /data/binaries:/data \
  ghidra-bizhawk-mcp \
  --ghidra-dir /opt/ghidra

The Dockerfile bundles Ghidra 11.2 and JDK 17 in a slim Python 3.11 image. Bind-mount your binaries directory at runtime.

MCP Bundle (MCPB — Claude Desktop / Smithery)

Package as a portable .mcpb bundle for one-click install in Claude Desktop or publishing on Smithery.

Prerequisites: Install the MCPB CLI:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/mcpb

Build the bundle:

# From the repo root
scripts/build-mcpb.ps1

Or manually with mcpb:

mcpb pack

The output ghidra-bizhawk-mcp.mcpb wraps the server with a manifest.json that prompts for GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR (required) and optionally BIZHAWK_EXE_PATH at install time — no manual JSON editing.

Publishing to Smithery:

smithery mcp publish ./dist/ghidra-bizhawk-mcp.mcpb -n getanirao/ghidra-bizhawk-mcp

P-code micro-emulation

Tool	Description
emulate_slice	Headlessly execute N instructions. Seed register state and get a step-by-step trace of register mutations.
emulate_slice_with_taint	Same as emulate_slice but with automated taint tracking — specify a taint register (e.g. r0) and the tool flags exactly when its value is modified or propagates to other registers.
emulate_slice_with_breakpoints	Execute until a condition is met or the count expires. Condition syntax: R0==0, R1>0xFF, R2!=R3, PC==0x1234. Stops before or after the matching instruction.

All run inside the pyhidra process via Ghidra's EmulatorHelper — no GDB/LLDB, no network ports, no debugger stubs. Works on ARM, x86, MIPS, and any Ghidra-supported architecture.

Worked example — breaking on a register condition

Suppose you're reversing a GBA ROM and want to find the first time r0 becomes zero inside a loop at 0x08000100:

# Step until r0 == 0, stop before the matching instruction
result = emulate_slice_with_breakpoints(
    session_id="gba_v1",
    start_address="0x08000100",
    max_instructions=5000,
    stop_condition="R0==0",
    stop_mode="before"
)
# result.exit_reason → "R0==0"
# result.instructions_executed → 312
# result.trace → [step 311: r0 goes 4→2, step 312: r0 goes 2→0]

# Check if a specific address was reached after a branch
result = emulate_slice_with_breakpoints(
    session_id="gba_v1",
    start_address="0x08000100",
    max_instructions=5000,
    stop_condition="PC==0x08001234"
)
# result.exit_reason → "PC==0x08001234"

# Use inequalities to catch bounds checks
result = emulate_slice_with_breakpoints(
    session_id="gba_v1",
    start_address="0x08000100",
    max_instructions=5000,
    stop_condition="R1>0xFF"
)
# result.exit_reason → "R1>0xFF"
# result.last_step["r1"] → 0x100

This is especially powerful for identifying copy-loop bounds (R3 >= R4), null-pointer paths (R0==0), or switch-table targets (PC==0x).

Function fingerprinting / signature transfer

Tool	Description
calculate_function_fingerprint	Generate a structural hash for a function (vars, params, body size, branches, called funcs, embedded strings, numeric constants). Survives compiler reordering.
export_signature_map	Build a complete {hash → name} map for every function in the current binary. Save this JSON to reuse across versions.
apply_signature_map	Pass a previously exported signature map; the server sweeps the binary and renames every matching function automatically.

Persistent signature stash (server-side cache)

Tool	Description
save_active_binary_signature	Fingerprint all functions and stash the map under a lineage_group_id (e.g. "my_firmware_v1"). Stored in ~/.ghidra_bizhawk_mcp/signatures/ — no JSON files to manage.
auto_restore_signatures_from_stash	Load a stashed map by lineage_group_id and auto-rename every matching function.
auto_stash_current_binary	Zero-input auto-stash — hashes the binary's first 4 KB, saves a map under that hash. Just analyze and call.
auto_restore_current_binary	Zero-input auto-restore — hashes the binary, looks up a previous stash, renames matches. No group ID needed.
list_stashed_signature_groups	List all stashed groups currently in the local cache.

Workflow — fully automated persistence:

# Analyze v1 — stashes automatically under binary content hash
s1 = analyze_binary(binary_path="/bin/v1.bin")
auto_stash_current_binary(session_id=s1.session_id)

# Later, analyze v2 — restores automatically
s2 = analyze_binary(binary_path="/bin/v2.bin")
auto_restore_current_binary(session_id=s2.session_id)
# → 142 functions renamed, zero manual JSON handling

Try these prompts

After configuring your MCP client (see Configuration), ask your AI agent:

• "Load this GBA ROM and decompile the entry point."
• "What functions call 0x8001234 in this NDS binary?"
• "Triage this PSX EXE and trace r0 through the first 20 instructions."
• "Diff the two sessions I have open and show me changed functions."

Project Structure

ghidra-bizhawk-mcp/
├── Dockerfile
├── pyproject.toml
├── README.md
└── src/ghidra_bizhawk_mcp/
    ├── __init__.py
    ├── server.py          # MCP server, tool registry, stdio transport
    ├── ghidra_bridge.py   # GhidraSession — pyghidra wrapper, all Ghidra logic
    ├── lua/
    │   └── bridge.lua     # BizHawk-side Lua bridge for live emulation
    └── tools/
        ├── __init__.py
        ├── bizhawk_bridge.py  # TCP client connecting MCP ↔ BizHawk
        └── ...

How it works

1. pyhidra.start() boots Ghidra's JVM once at server startup
2. Each analyze_binary call opens a new Ghidra project in its own named session
3. Read/write tools route to the requested session via session_id (or the active default)
4. Write tools apply changes directly to the Ghidra program database
5. Sessions persist until explicitly closed — enabling multi-binary workflows and diffing