docs: correct the raw ARM example and document a Cortex-M language override (#7483)

* docs(raw-binary): replace the STM32-style ARM example

The headline raw example opened ecu.bin at 0x8000000, an STM32 flash
address, while the arm lane decodes in ARM state. Map a 32-bit ARM-state
image at 0x8000 instead, and state beside the example that Thumb-only
images, including Cortex-M firmware, are not supported.

* docs(ghidra): document an interim Cortex-M language override

Ghidra imports little-endian ARM ELF files as ARM:LE:32:v8, which
defaults to ARM state and marks Thumb code only from $t mapping symbols
and odd function-symbol addresses. Unpinned arm ELF already admits
REA_GHIDRA_LANGUAGE_ID, so document ARM:LE:32:Cortex (ARMv6-M, ARMv7-M,
ARMv7E-M) and ARM:LE:32:v8-m (ARMv8-M) as an unverified interim.

State the override's full effect while it is set: raw-binary, DOS, DOL,
PSP and language-pinned lanes such as RISC-V refuse it, and REA asks
Ghidra to import every other target in the ARM language, because it does
not check the override's processor against the target.
This commit is contained in:
Entrpi authored and GitHub committed 2026-10-30 22:28:06 +08:00
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@@ -1417,6 +1417,33 @@ REA passes `-processor`/`-cspec`, checks both against the installation's `.ldefs
Language definitions must be well-formed XML encoded as UTF-8 or BOM-marked UTF-16, with any encoding declaration matching the bytes. Literal Unicode replacement characters (U+FFFD) are accepted; malformed source bytes are rejected.
Ghidra imports little-endian ARM ELF files, including Cortex-M
(`arm-none-eabi`) firmware, as `ARM:LE:32:v8`. That language defaults to ARM
state, and its ELF loader marks code as Thumb only where `$t` mapping symbols
or odd function-symbol addresses say so. Cortex-M cores run only Thumb code, so
the gap matters mainly for code without those markers, such as stripped images
and handlers reached only through the vector table. REA has no M-profile ARM
lane. As an unverified interim, select an M-profile language, which decodes in
Thumb state by default. For ARMv6-M, ARMv7-M and ARMv7E-M cores:
```bash
export REA_GHIDRA_LANGUAGE_ID="ARM:LE:32:Cortex"
```
For ARMv8-M cores, use `ARM:LE:32:v8-m` instead. REA has not verified either
language for Cortex-M analysis. While the variable is set, it applies to every
Ghidra import in the REA server:
- raw-binary, DOS, GameCube DOL and PSP opens are refused, as are opens in
lanes that reject a different language, such as RISC-V;
- REA asks Ghidra to import everything else in the selected ARM language,
including x86, x86-64, arm64, PowerPC and Hexagon ELF files and PE and
Mach-O files, because it does not check that the override's processor
matches the target.
Restart REA without the variable before you analyze other targets. A future
M-profile lane may refuse it; remove the setting then.
To seed code that auto-analysis cannot reach (computed jumps, pointers in data):
```bash
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@@ -10,24 +10,28 @@ inferred from a `.bin` suffix or from unrecognized bytes.
## Open and inspect
```bash
rea inspect /absolute/path/to/ecu.bin --target-format raw-binary --architecture arm --entry-point 0x8000000 --provider ghidra --json
rea function /absolute/path/to/ecu.bin 0x8000000 --target-format raw-binary --architecture arm --entry-point 0x8000000 --provider ghidra --json
rea inspect-native-load-image /absolute/path/to/ecu.bin --target-format raw-binary --architecture arm --entry-point 0x8000000 --provider ghidra --json
rea inspect /absolute/path/to/kernel.img --target-format raw-binary --architecture arm --entry-point 0x8000 --provider ghidra --json
rea function /absolute/path/to/kernel.img 0x8000 --target-format raw-binary --architecture arm --entry-point 0x8000 --provider ghidra --json
rea inspect-native-load-image /absolute/path/to/kernel.img --target-format raw-binary --architecture arm --entry-point 0x8000 --provider ghidra --json
```
```json
{
"name": "open_binary",
"arguments": {
"path": "/absolute/path/to/ecu.bin",
"path": "/absolute/path/to/kernel.img",
"format": "raw-binary",
"architecture": "arm",
"entry_point": "0x8000000",
"entry_point": "0x8000",
"provider_id": "ghidra"
}
}
```
The example maps a 32-bit ARM-state image at `0x8000`. For `arm`, decoding
starts at the entry in ARM (A32) state, so Thumb-only images, including Cortex-M
firmware, are not supported. See [Limitations](#limitations).
`architecture` is one of `x86`, `x86_64`, `arm`, `arm64`, `6502`, or `m68k`. `entry_point` is a
hexadecimal address of the form `0x…`. The complete file is mapped starting at
that address, and Ghidra seeds an `entry` function there before auto-analysis.