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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

This page documents known issues, limitations, and workarounds for Ghidra.

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Build and Development Issues

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Gradle Toolchain Discovery on Linux

Issue: Gradle fails to discover native toolchains on Linux when using a non-English system locale. Affected Versions: All versions Impact: Native component build fails Workaround: Set the locale environment variable before running Gradle: 
export LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8
Reference: DevGuide.md - Known Issues section

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Python Build Without pip

Issue: If the Ghidra build only finds versions of Python that do not have access to pip, the build may fail. Affected Versions: All versions Impact: Python package builds fail Workaround: Perform the build from a Python virtual environment: 
python3 -m venv build-env
source build-env/bin/activate  # Linux/macOS
# OR
build-env\Scripts\activate      # Windows
Reference: DevGuide.md - Known Issues section

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Interactive Git Commands Not Supported

Issue: Git commands with interactive flags (like git rebase -i or git add -i) are not supported in the Ghidra build process. Affected Versions: All versions Impact: Interactive git operations fail Workaround: Use non-interactive alternatives or run git commands outside the build system.

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Eclipse Integration Issues

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Missing Run Configurations

Issue: Ghidra run configurations may not appear in Eclipse after importing projects. Affected Versions: All versions Impact: Cannot launch Ghidra from Eclipse Workaround:
  1. Close and reopen Eclipse
  2. Navigate to Run → Run Configurations… to manually access configurations
  3. Launch Ghidra once through the Run Configurations window for it to appear in favorites
Note: Do not manually import launch configurations as this can cause duplicates.

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Compilation Errors After Repository Update

Issue: After pulling or syncing with the latest source, Eclipse may show unexplainable compilation errors. Affected Versions: All versions Impact: Cannot build in Eclipse Workaround: Clean and regenerate Eclipse projects: 
gradle prepdev cleanEclipse eclipse buildNatives
Then reimport projects into Eclipse. See the Troubleshooting guide for detailed steps.

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GhidraDev Plugin - PyDev/CDT Errors

Issue: When developing the GhidraDev Eclipse plugin, compilation errors related to PyDev and CDT may occur. Affected Versions: All versions Impact: Cannot build GhidraDev plugin Workaround: In Eclipse preferences, under Target Platform, activate /Eclipse GhidraDevPlugin/GhidraDev.target.

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Runtime and Application Issues

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Multi-User Certificate Hostname Verification (JDK 21.0.10+)

Issue: Ghidra Server self-signed certificates fail hostname verification with JDK 21.0.10 or later. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.2 and earlier Impact: Cannot connect to Ghidra Server Resolution:
  • Server: Upgrade to Ghidra 12.0.3+ (certificates now include all FQDNs and IP addresses as subject alternative names)
  • Client: Add to support/launch.properties: 
    VMARGS=-Djdk.rmi.ssl.client.enableEndpointIdentification=false
Reference: GP-6426, Issue #8940 (Fixed in 12.0.3)

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Auto Comment Annotation Security Risk

Issue: Auto comments could render annotations as valid annotation links, posing a potential security risk. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.2 and earlier Impact: Potential security vulnerability Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.3. Auto comments no longer render annotations as valid links. Normal comments continue to work as usual. Reference: GP-6414 (Fixed in 12.0.3)

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@execute Annotation Deprecated

Issue: The @execute annotation in comments is no longer supported due to security concerns. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.3+ Impact: Scripts using @execute annotation will not work Workaround: Use alternative mechanisms for executing code from comments. Reference: GP-6413 (Changed in 12.0.3)

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Debugger Issues

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Trace Save Deadlock

Issue: Deadlock can occur when saving Traces from the Close Project dialog. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.3 and earlier Impact: Application hangs when closing projects with traces Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.4 Workaround: Save traces manually before closing the project. Reference: GP-6392 (Fixed in 12.0.4)

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NullPointerException on Debugger Close

Issue: A NullPointerException can occur when closing the Debugger. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.2 and earlier Impact: Error when closing Debugger tool Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.3 Reference: GP-6376 (Fixed in 12.0.3)

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Duplicate Breakpoints After Target Restart

Issue: Restarting a target (e.g., using the run command from GDB’s CLI) causes duplicate breakpoint entries and GUI glitches. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.2 and earlier Impact: Confusing UI state with duplicate breakpoints Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.3 Reference: GP-6027 (Fixed in 12.0.3)

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Memory Viewer Multiple Address Space Bug

Issue: Bug in the Memory viewer when looking at multiple address spaces. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.3 and earlier Impact: Incorrect memory display Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.4 Reference: GP-6449, Issue #8982 (Fixed in 12.0.4)

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Decompiler Issues

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”PTRSUB off of non structured pointer type” Exceptions

Issue: Decompiler throws exceptions when dealing with void * data types. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.2 and earlier Impact: Decompilation fails for certain functions Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.3 Reference: GP-6388, Issue #8887 (Fixed in 12.0.3)

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“Forced merge caused intersection” Exceptions

Issue: Decompiler throws exceptions when decompiling optimized string copies. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.2 and earlier Impact: Decompilation fails for certain optimized code Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.3 Reference: GP-6393, Issue #8651 (Fixed in 12.0.3)

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Analysis Issues

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Constants Propagating to Wrong Function

Issue: Constants from one function can find their way into another function when a jump is converted to a call during constant propagation. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.3 and earlier Impact: Incorrect constant analysis Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.4 Reference: GP-6442 (Fixed in 12.0.4)

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Thunk Function Linking in EXTERNAL Block

Issue: Analysis fails to properly link thunk functions in the EXTERNAL memory block to existing External library symbols, creating new external functions in the unknown external library instead. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.3 and earlier Impact: Incorrect external function references Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.4 Reference: GP-6465 (Fixed in 12.0.4)

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RTTI Class Name Demangling

Issue: When RTTI class names cannot be demangled correctly, class members end up in global namespace instead of being grouped. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.3 and earlier Impact: Poor organization of class members Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.4. Now creates a class namespace with the mangled name so items can be correctly grouped. Reference: GP-6431, Issue #8944 (Fixed in 12.0.4)

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Data Type Issues

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Multi-User Merge - Non-Packed Structures

Issue: Multi-user merge issues related to non-packed structures can negatively affect merge results. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.2 and earlier Impact: Incorrect merge results in collaborative environments Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.3 Reference: GP-6320, Issue #8776 (Fixed in 12.0.3)

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Processor-Specific Issues

The following processor-specific issues have been identified and fixed in recent releases:

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AARCH64

  • ldpsw instruction semantics - Fixed in 12.0.4 (GP-5590, Issues #6469, #8008)
  • ldar instruction semantics - Fixed in 12.0.4 (GP-6473, Issues #6467, #8014)
  • sha1h instruction - Fixed in 12.0.3 (GP-4501, Issue #6398)
  • CSSC instructions support - Added in 12.0.4 (GP-6448, Issues #8973, #8979)

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MIPS

  • sdbbp16 disassembly - Fixed in 12.0.4 (GP-6489)
  • save and restore instructions - Added in 12.0.4 (GP-6501)
  • MIPS16e2 lui instruction - Fixed in 12.0.3 (GP-6419)

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PIC-18

  • Double increment/decrement issue - Fixed in 12.0.4 (GP-6004, Issues #3342, #8501)

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PowerPC

  • Altivec vadduws instruction - Added in 12.0.4 (GP-6268, Issue #8821)

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Other Processors

  • Xtensa slapsec token - Fixed in 12.0.4 (GP-6080)
  • CR16 tbit instruction - Fixed in 12.0.4 (GP-6181, Issue #8716)
  • eBPF atomic compare-and-exchange - Fixed in 12.0.4 (GP-6182, Issue #8721)
  • 80251 SPX register references - Fixed in 12.0.3 (GP-5905, Issue #8395)

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Security Advisories

For the most up-to-date security information, always check Ghidra’s Security Advisories before using any version of Ghidra.

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Zip Path Traversal in Theme Import

Issue: Potential zip path traversal vulnerability when importing Ghidra theme zip files. Affected Versions: Ghidra 12.0.3 and earlier Impact: Security vulnerability Resolution: Fixed in Ghidra 12.0.4 Reference: GP-6455 (Fixed in 12.0.4)

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API Changes

These are breaking API changes that may affect extension and script developers:

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AddressRangeTableModel Constructor (12.0.4)

Change: The resultsLimit and minLength parameters have been removed from the AddressRangeTableModel constructor. Impact: Code using this constructor must be updated. Reference: GP-6480 (Changed in 12.0.4)

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Reporting New Issues

If you encounter an issue not listed here:
  1. Search existing issues: Check if it’s already reported at GitHub Issues
  2. Check recent releases: The issue may be fixed in a newer version
  3. Report the issue: Use the bug report template to create a new issue
  4. Include details:
    • Ghidra version
    • Operating system and version
    • JDK version
    • Steps to reproduce
    • Expected vs actual behavior
    • Error messages or stack traces
Before reporting, try reproducing the issue with the latest Ghidra release to ensure it hasn’t already been fixed.