GhidraGo README

Table of Contents

GhidraGo Introduction

GhidraGo is a mechanism to cause Ghidra to display a previously imported program within a local or multi-user project using a ghidraURL hyperlink similar to an http reference. In practice ghidraURL's work very similarly to selecting a URL reference which displays a PDF. Once setup correctly, GhidraURL links can be placed in web pages, external project documentation files, or any other place a URL hyperlink can be placed.

When a GhidraURL is selected, GhidraGo will startup Ghidra if it isn't already running as well as prompt to login to the multi-user project if necessary. The program is displayed in the default tool, usually the codebrowser, and can be configured to re-use an open default tool or to use a new default tool. The GhidraURL must currently be locating a DomainFile that is either in a Remote, Shared project, or a local project.

GhidraGo is a combination of a command line program to send a link, a plugin running within the Ghidra project manager, and the configuration of the default handling for the ghidraURL within the user environment. The ghidraURL is sent as the first and only parameter to the ghidraGo command line interface.

GhidraGo passes information through a simple filesystem mechanism vice an open port for security and simplicity. GhidraGo works on Windows, Linux, and MacOS.

GhidraURL's have the format:

Remote Ghidra Server File: ghidra://<host>[:<port>]/<repository-name>/<program-path> [#<address-or-symbol-ref>]

Example: ghidra://hostname/Repo/notepad.exe#main

Local Ghidra Project File: ghidra:/[<project-path>/]<project-name>?/<program-path> [#<address-or-symbol-ref>]

Example: ghidra:/share/MyProject?/notepad.exe#main

Example of Using ghidraGo CLI

ghidraGo ghidra://ghidra-server/project/myProgram#symbol

Executing this command will result in the program called myProgram being opened in Ghidra's default tool with the cursor at symbol.

Configure GhidraGo Plugin

  1. Start Ghidra
  2. Choose File > Configuration in the Project Window (not the Codebrowser Window)
  3. Click the Plug Icon in the upper right to display all plugins
  4. Search for GhidraGoPlugin and select it
  5. Press OK

Ghidra is now configured to listen to GhidraGo Requests. You can execute a GhidraGo request using the "ghidraGo" shell/batch script in /path/to/ghidra/support/GhidraGo/ghidraGo

Configure Protocol Handler (Platform Specific)

Configuring your platform to handle the protocol is what enables the ghidraGo command line interface to be associated with a ghidraURL. Once configured, clicking hyperlinks that start with the protocol will execute the ghidraGo CLI with that hyperlink as the first argument. The configuration is platform specific.

*NOTE: changes to your path to ghidra, such as upgrading ghidra to a new version, will require the path you set in this configuration to be updated.

Windows Protocol Handler Configuration

  1. Go to Start > Find and Type regedit
  2. Right click HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT then New > Key
  3. Name the key "ghidra"
  4. Right Click ghidra > New > String Value and add "URL Protocol" without a value
  5. Right Click ghidra > New > Key and create the heiarchy ghidra/shell/open/command
  6. Inside command change (Default) to the path where ghidraGo is located followed by a "%1". For Example:

    7. C:\Path\To\Ghidra\support\GhidraGo\ghidraGo "%1"

Linux Protocol Handler Configuration

In Linux, when you click a browser link with an href value to a GhidraURL, you'll be prompted to use xdg-open.

  1. Edit the file ghidra.desktop in ~/.local/share/applications

    2. [Desktop Entry]
    Name=ghidra Client
    Exec=/path/to/ghidra/support/GhidraGo/ghidraGo "%u"
    Type=Application
    Terminal=false
    MimeType=x-scheme-handler/ghidra;
  2. Edit the file mimeapps.list in ~/.local/share/applications

    3. [Default Applications]
    x-scheme-handler/ghidra=ghidra.desktop
    ...

After the steps above, you should be able to click a GhidraURL href, get the same xdg-open prompt, and upon clicking "Open xdg-open" GhidraGo should execute and open Ghidra to the given GhidraURL.

Mac Protocol Handler Configuration

  1. Open Script Editor and past the following into the editor.

    2. on open location schemeUrl
     set ghidraUrl to quoted form of schemeUrl
     do shell script "/path/to/ghidraGo " & ghidraUrl
    end open location
  2. Save the script as an Application named GhidraGo in either /Applications or ~/Applications
  3. Right click on the saved Application and click Show Package Contents
  4. Open Contents > Info.plist and under <string>com.apple.ScriptEditor.id.GhidraGo</string> paste the following:

    5. <key>CFBundleURLTypes</key>
    <array>
     <dict>
      <key>CFBundleURLName</key>
      <string>Ghidra Scheme</string>
      <key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key>
      <array>
       <string>ghidra</string>
      </array>
     </dict>
    </array>
  5. Go to the Applications folder where you saved the GhidraGo, and Open GhidraGo (run it once).
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Last modified: Oct 26 2023