diff --git a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.def.cfg b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.def.cfg
index f220ed84e8..18ac49f727 100644
--- a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.def.cfg
+++ b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.def.cfg
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ io.winkd
 io.winedbg
 io.zip
 io.xalz
+io.xattr
 io.r2k
 io.ar
 io.fd
diff --git a/libr/include/r_io.h b/libr/include/r_io.h
index 881f2a863f..426a0cbc95 100644
--- a/libr/include/r_io.h
+++ b/libr/include/r_io.h
@@ -585,6 +585,7 @@ extern RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_winedbg;
 extern RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_gprobe;
 extern RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_fd;
 extern RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_socket;
+extern RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_xattr;
 extern RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_isotp;
 extern RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_xalz;
 
diff --git a/libr/io/io_memory.c b/libr/io/io_memory.c
index e4ebf7dbf8..94da7ed2b5 100644
--- a/libr/io/io_memory.c
+++ b/libr/io/io_memory.c
@@ -1,19 +1,15 @@
-/* radare - LGPL - Copyright 2008-2021 - pancake */
+/* radare - LGPL - Copyright 2008-2022 - pancake */
 
 #include "io_memory.h"
 
 static inline ut32 _io_malloc_sz(RIODesc *desc) {
-	if (!desc) {
-		return 0;
-	}
+	r_return_val_if_fail (desc, 0);
 	RIOMalloc *mal = (RIOMalloc*)desc->data;
 	return mal? mal->size: 0;
 }
 
 static inline ut8* _io_malloc_buf(RIODesc *desc) {
-	if (!desc) {
-		return NULL;
-	}
+	r_return_val_if_fail (desc, NULL);
 	RIOMalloc *mal = (RIOMalloc*)desc->data;
 	return mal->buf;
 }
@@ -29,23 +25,20 @@ static inline ut8* _io_malloc_set_buf(RIODesc *desc, ut8* buf) {
 #endif
 
 static inline ut64 _io_malloc_off(RIODesc *desc) {
-	if (!desc) {
-		return 0;
-	}
+	r_return_val_if_fail (desc, 0);
 	RIOMalloc *mal = (RIOMalloc*)desc->data;
 	return mal->offset;
 }
 
 static inline void _io_malloc_set_off(RIODesc *desc, ut64 off) {
-	if (!desc) {
-		return;
-	}
+	r_return_if_fail (desc);
 	RIOMalloc *mal = (RIOMalloc*)desc->data;
 	mal->offset = off;
 }
 
 int io_memory_write(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, const ut8 *buf, int count) {
-	if (!fd || !buf || count < 0 || !fd->data) {
+	r_return_val_if_fail (io && fd && buf, -1);
+	if (count < 0 || !fd->data) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 	if (_io_malloc_off (fd) > _io_malloc_sz (fd)) {
@@ -63,7 +56,8 @@ int io_memory_write(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, const ut8 *buf, int count) {
 }
 
 bool io_memory_resize(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, ut64 count) {
-	if (!fd || !fd->data || count == 0) {
+	r_return_val_if_fail (io && fd, false);
+	if (count == 0) { // TODO: why cant truncate to 0 bytes
 		return false;
 	}
 	ut32 mallocsz = _io_malloc_sz (fd);
@@ -84,8 +78,9 @@ bool io_memory_resize(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, ut64 count) {
 }
 
 int io_memory_read(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, ut8 *buf, int count) {
+	r_return_val_if_fail (io && fd && buf, -1);
 	memset (buf, 0xff, count);
-	if (!fd || !fd->data) {
+	if (!fd->data) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 	ut32 mallocsz = _io_malloc_sz (fd);
@@ -101,17 +96,17 @@ int io_memory_read(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, ut8 *buf, int count) {
 }
 
 bool io_memory_close(RIODesc *fd) {
-	RIOMalloc *riom;
 	if (!fd || !fd->data) {
 		return false;
 	}
-	riom = fd->data;
+	RIOMalloc *riom = fd->data;
 	R_FREE (riom->buf);
 	R_FREE (fd->data);
 	return true;
 }
 
 ut64 io_memory_lseek(RIO* io, RIODesc *fd, ut64 offset, int whence) {
+	r_return_val_if_fail (io && fd, offset);
 	ut64 r_offset = offset;
 	if (!fd || !fd->data) {
 		return offset;
diff --git a/libr/io/meson.build b/libr/io/meson.build
index 5ae429f683..152f618a49 100644
--- a/libr/io/meson.build
+++ b/libr/io/meson.build
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ r_io_sources = [
   'p/io_ihex.c',
   'p/io_mach.c',
   'p/io_malloc.c',
+  'p/io_xattr.c',
   'p/io_xalz.c',
   'p/io_mmap.c',
   'p/io_null.c',
diff --git a/libr/io/p/io_gzip.c b/libr/io/p/io_gzip.c
index 599f622a88..af056b6172 100644
--- a/libr/io/p/io_gzip.c
+++ b/libr/io/p/io_gzip.c
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ static bool __close(RIODesc *fd) {
 	}
 	RIOGzip *riom = fd->data;
 	if (riom->has_changed) {
-		eprintf ("TODO: Writing changes into gzipped files is not yet supported\n");
+		R_LOG_ERROR ("TODO: Writing changes into gzipped files is not yet supported");
 	}
 	R_FREE (riom->buf);
 	R_FREE (fd->data);
diff --git a/libr/io/p/io_xattr.c b/libr/io/p/io_xattr.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2d0338452c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libr/io/p/io_xattr.c
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+/* radare - LGPL - Copyright 2022 - pancake */
+
+#include <r_io.h>
+#include <r_lib.h>
+#include "../io_memory.h"
+
+#if 0
+#define HAS_XATTR 0
+#elif __APPLE__
+#define HAS_XATTR 1
+# define r_listxattr(x,y,z) listxattr(x,y,z,0)
+# define r_getxattr(x,y,z,u) getxattr(x,y,z,u,0,0)
+# define r_setxattr(x,y,z,u,v) setxattr(x,y,z,u,v,0)
+#elif __linux__
+#define HAS_XATTR 1
+# define r_listxattr listxattr
+# define r_getxattr getxattr
+# define r_setxattr setxattr
+#else
+#define HAS_XATTR 0
+#endif
+
+#if HAS_XATTR
+
+#include <sys/xattr.h>
+
+static bool __check(RIO *io, const char *pathname, bool many) {
+	return r_str_startswith (pathname, "xattr://");
+}
+
+static void list_xattr(const char *path) {
+	int total = r_listxattr (path, NULL, -1);
+	if (total < 1) {
+		return;
+	}
+	char *namebuf = malloc (total);
+	if (!namebuf) {
+		return;
+	}
+	int i, res = r_listxattr (path, namebuf, total);
+	for (i = 0; i < res; i++) {
+		const char *n = namebuf + i;
+		printf ("%s\n", n);
+		i += strlen (n);
+	}
+	free (namebuf);
+}
+
+static bool write_xattr(const char *path, const char *attrname, const ut8 *data, size_t size) {
+	return r_setxattr (path, attrname, data, size, 0) == 0;
+}
+
+static char *read_xattr(const char *path, const char *attrname, int *osize) {
+	int size = r_getxattr (path, attrname, NULL, -1);
+	if (size < 1) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	char *buf = calloc (size, 1);
+	r_getxattr (path, attrname, buf, size);
+	*osize = size;
+	return buf;
+}
+
+static RIODesc *__open(RIO *io, const char *pathname, int rw, int mode) {
+	if (!__check (io, pathname, 0)) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	char *path = strdup (pathname + 8);
+	char *attrname = strstr (path, "//");
+	if (!attrname) {
+		list_xattr (path);
+		free (path);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	*attrname = 0;
+	attrname += 2;
+
+	int size = 0;
+	char *attrvalue = read_xattr (path, attrname, &size);
+	free (path);
+	if (!attrvalue || size < 1) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	
+	RIOMalloc *mal = R_NEW0 (RIOMalloc);
+	if (!mal) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	mal->size = size;
+	mal->buf = (ut8*)attrvalue;
+	mal->offset = 0;
+	if (mal->buf) {
+		return r_io_desc_new (io, &r_io_plugin_xattr, pathname, R_PERM_RW | rw, mode, mal);
+	}
+	R_LOG_ERROR ("Cannot allocate %d bytes for %s", mal->size, pathname);
+	free (mal);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static bool __close(RIODesc *fd) {
+	RIOMalloc *riom = fd->data;
+	const char *pathname = fd->name;
+	char *path = strdup (pathname + 8);
+	char *attrname = strstr (path, "//");
+	if (!attrname) {
+		// should never happen, but just in case
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	*attrname = 0;
+	attrname += 2;
+	write_xattr (path, attrname, (const ut8*)riom->buf, riom->size);
+	free (path);
+	io_memory_close (fd);
+	return true;
+}
+
+RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_xattr = {
+	.name = "xattr",
+	.desc = "access extended file attribute",
+	.author = "pancake",
+	.uris = "xattr://",
+	.license = "LGPL3",
+	.open = __open,
+	.close = __close,
+	.read = io_memory_read,
+	.check = __check,
+	.seek = io_memory_lseek,
+	.write = io_memory_write,
+	.resize = io_memory_resize,
+};
+
+#else // HAS_XATTR
+
+RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_xattr = {
+	.name = "xattr",
+	.desc = "access extended file attribute (not supported)",
+	.uris = "xattr://",
+	.license = "LGPL3",
+};
+#endif
+
+#ifndef R2_PLUGIN_INCORE
+R_API RLibStruct radare_plugin = {
+	.type = R_LIB_TYPE_IO,
+	.data = &r_io_plugin_xattr,
+	.version = R2_VERSION
+};
+#endif
diff --git a/libr/io/p/xattr.mk b/libr/io/p/xattr.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e49ee500b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libr/io/p/xattr.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+OBJ_XATTR=io_xattr.o
+
+STATIC_OBJ+=${OBJ_XATTR}
+TARGET_XATTR=io_xattr.${EXT_SO}
+ALL_TARGETS+=${TARGET_XATTR}
+
+ifeq (${WITHPIC},0)
+LINKFLAGS+=../../util/libr_util.a
+LINKFLAGS+=../../io/libr_io.a
+else
+LINKFLAGS+=-L../../util -lr_util
+LINKFLAGS+=-L.. -lr_io
+endif
+
+${TARGET_XATTR}: ${OBJ_XATTR}
+	${CC_LIB} $(call libname,io_xattr) ${CFLAGS} -o ${TARGET_XATTR} \
+		${LDFLAGS} ${OBJ_XATTR} ${LINKFLAGS}
diff --git a/libr/meson.build b/libr/meson.build
index 52eb915cb7..15552a4850 100644
--- a/libr/meson.build
+++ b/libr/meson.build
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ anal_plugins = [ 'null' ]
 bin_plugins = [ 'any' ]
 bin_ldr_plugins = [ 'ldr_linux' ]
 bin_xtr_plugins = [ 'xtr_sep64' ]
-io_plugins = [ 'malloc', 'fd', 'default', 'null', 'rbuf', 'r2pipe' , 'r2pipe']
+io_plugins = [ 'malloc', 'xattr', 'fd', 'default', 'null', 'rbuf', 'r2pipe' , 'r2pipe']
 fs_plugins = [ 'r2', 'posix', 'io' ]
 bp_plugins = [ 'bf' ]
 crypto_plugins = [ 'xor', 'punycode' ]