749e58772a
* feat(jeb): add JEB engine provider over its MCP interface
Add a bring-your-own JEB provider that serves project, unit, and
decompilation inspection from a caller-started JEB client speaking MCP
(streamable HTTP, selected with REA_JEB_MCP_URL). Expose four provider-neutral
operations through shared CLI/MCP workflows: inspect_jeb_client,
open_jeb_project, list_jeb_units, and decompile_jeb_item, each returning
Evidence with engine identity, endpoint, and preserved refusal reasons.
The adapter keeps JEB's envelope semantics: success fields are parsed
format-aware at the boundary, message-only refusals become unsupported-target
errors with the engine's own reason, transport failures become availability
failures with recovery guidance, and unit pagination derives coverage from the
engine's 100-item page cap. Explicit unknowns (implicitly selected unit,
omitted filters) are reported instead of guessed.
Verified against a real JEB 5.48.0 licensed build serving jeb-mcp-server 1.3.0
headless: client inspection, unit listing, and method decompilation were
exercised through the CLI, MCP boundary, and scripts/verify-jeb.mjs.
JEB 5.48.0 headless instances do not advertise open_project; the refusal is
preserved and documented.
* fix(jeb): verify against a real signed APK and fix CLI option surface
Verify the provider against a locally built, v1/v2/v3-signed probe APK
(binary manifest, classes.dex with a launcher activity) on JEB 5.48.0: the
full unit tree (apk, manifest, three certificate units, dex bytecode,
decompiler), wildcard-filtered and paginated unit listing with derived
coverage, parent-restricted listing, and launcher-activity method
decompilation through both CLI and MCP, including dexdec's inline
constant folding of the probe's obfuscated tag.
Move list-jeb-units filter/pagination and decompile-jeb-item unit selection
from positional arguments to options; the MCP schemas are unchanged.
* fix(jeb): preserve engine refusals through the real MCP boundary
Testing against the published Signal 8.30.3 universal APK exposed a boundary
bug the scripted provider tests missed: decodeJebToolResult raised a protocol
error for isError results before the provider could map JEB's
{success:false, message} envelope, so real engine refusals surfaced as
unreadable output instead of the engine's own reason. Decode refusal
envelopes like any structured result and let the provider preserve the
reason; cover the decoder directly, including contentless and unparseable
results.
Signal verification: full 109 MB R8/Kotlin/Compose APK with four signature
schemes and native arm64 ELF units parsed; MainActivity.onCreate and R8
synthetic lambdas decompiled through CLI and MCP; paginated, filtered, and
parent-restricted unit listing; refusal path confirmed on the live engine.
* docs(jeb): record Flutter Gallery verification on the real-engine lane
Verify the provider against the official Flutter Gallery 2.9.2 release APK
(112 MB): per-ABI libapp.so Dart AOT snapshot images analyzed as native code
with 75k methods on arm64, snapshot internals and wrapper methods decompiled
through both CLI and MCP with explicit unit selection, decoded manifest, and
filtered native-library unit discovery. Note that JEB 5.48.0 headless does
not expose the dedicated Dart snapshot processor or run_script; both remain
GUI-only engine surfaces.
* docs(jeb): translate the README JEB row for every supported language
The JEB row was inserted in English across all translated READMEs; each now
carries its own label, capability summary, requirements, and guide link
following that language's Android-row conventions.
* fix(jeb): enforce local endpoints and preserve cancellation
* fix(jeb): refuse redirects across the local MCP boundary
---------
Co-authored-by: REA Contributor <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: morluto <[email protected]>
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REA: Reverse Engineer Anything
One MCP for reverse engineering across binaries, applications, and runtime behavior.
See a feature you like. Understand how it works, down to the binary level.
Quick start · How REA works · What you can analyze · Showcases · FAQ · Documentation
npx rea-agents setup
 Join the Reverse Engineering Community Discord · Q&A · Show and Tell |
See a feature in an app that you want in your own product? Ask your agent to investigate it with REA. It can inspect the app without its source code, explain how the feature works, show the evidence, and build a version for your project.
REA connects your agent to tools for inspecting native binaries, JavaScript and Electron apps, .NET assemblies, and websites. You can also use the same tools from your terminal. Analysis runs locally, and results include the evidence and limitations behind each conclusion.
Setup registers REA with your agent and installs matching workflow instructions. Native analysis can use an existing Hopper, Ghidra, or IDA installation; setup can optionally install Hopper with approval. Static JavaScript analysis needs no native analysis engine.
Visit the REA website for setup instructions, illustrated guides, and real case studies.
Quick start
Set up your agent
With Node.js and npm installed, run:
npx rea-agents setup
Choose your agents, review the proposed changes, and approve them. Setup adds REA's MCP server and matching workflow instructions, with backups of existing configuration. Restart your agent afterward.
Setup supports Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Grok Build and other agents. See installation and setup for provider configuration and manual MCP registration.
Ask your agent
Understand how search works in the Notes app, show me the evidence, and build a
similar feature for my project.
Replace Notes with your target app and the feature you want to understand.
Use the terminal
Inspect an extracted JavaScript/Electron app directory or ASAR:
npx -y rea-agents@latest analyze-javascript-application /absolute/path/to/app --json
The result includes modules, imports, Electron boundaries and their evidence.
Replace the path with your target, such as "D:/apps/example" on Windows.
To install the rea command for regular use:
npm install --global rea-agents
rea --help
For native analysis, configure a provider first. See the CLI and Evidence guide for native commands, provider selection, snapshots and scripting.
Update REA
REA changes quickly, and new releases include frequent bug fixes. Keep your installation up to date.
For an npm-installed CLI:
rea update
To refresh your agent registrations and skill, run the setup command printed by the update.
If you use npx, update your agent setup with:
npx rea-agents@latest setup
Review the setup changes and restart your agent. For one-off CLI commands,
use npx rea-agents@latest followed by the command.
How REA works
Your agent calls REA through MCP to inspect the target and trace relevant code. REA returns findings with their evidence. The agent uses them to ask follow-up questions, explain the behavior, or write and test an implementation. CLI commands use the same workflows.
What you can analyze
REA requires Node.js 22.x (>=22.19), 24.x (>=24.11), or 26+, plus npm. Additional tools and host support depend on the target:
| Target | What REA returns | Requirements and guide |
|---|---|---|
| Native binaries | Pseudocode, assembly, strings, symbols, calls and references | Hopper, Ghidra or IDA; native analysis |
| Offline ELF layout | Sections, segments, original symbols/relocations and static mitigation candidates | Caller-supplied pwntools on Linux x64; binary diagnostics |
| EVM bytecode | Dispatch selectors, byte offsets, inferred arguments and mutability | Local raw/hex carrier on Linux x64; offline EVM guide |
| Recorded Linux crashes | Raw notes, every recorded thread's registers/signals and optional mapping candidates | Caller-supplied pwntools on Linux x64; optional GDB/pwndbg; recorded crashes |
| JavaScript / Electron | Modules, imports, source maps, routes, IPC and native add-on relationships | Node.js and npm; application analysis |
| Websites | Page structure, scripts, network observations and requested screenshots | A Chrome-family browser; browser analysis |
| Saved network captures | Requests, responses, exposed payloads and source locations | HAR; mitmdump on Linux for native mitmproxy captures; capture guide |
| .NET assemblies | Metadata, CIL instructions, declared native dependencies and build comparisons | None (static only); managed-code guide |
| Android APKs | Manifest declarations, classes, decompiled methods and references | Headless JADX and a full JDK on Linux/macOS/Windows x64; Android guide |
| Android devices | Devices, packages, processes, logs, dumps, screen captures, and APK/file transfers | Caller-supplied adb (emulator or hardware); ADB guide |
| JEB projects | Engine-backed project units, artifact digests and type/method pseudo-code | A caller-started JEB client serving MCP, selected with REA_JEB_MCP_URL; JEB guide |
| Firmware | Regions, extraction results and native-analysis handoffs | Binwalk / Unblob on Linux; firmware guide |
| Packages and resources | File inventories, digests, plists, Apple bundle anatomy and extracted resources | Artifact and JavaScript guide, Apple applications |
| Process behavior | Terminal output, interactions, exit and filesystem observations, and run comparisons | Linux/macOS with a native PTY; process capture |
Static JavaScript and .NET inspection read the supplied files without running the application. Runtime capture runs or interacts with the selected target using your user permissions; each runtime guide describes its effects.
Native formats and host support vary by provider. See
Hopper and Ghidra setup, the
IDA guide, and
experimental Windows Ghidra support.
Ghidra also supports 16-bit DOS analysis.
For large binaries, raise its startup deadline with
REA_GHIDRA_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_MS.
For provider selection, see the CLI guide.
Check release availability
for features added since the latest npm release.
Showcases
DX-Ball: reconstruct a sound-pan calculation
Follow a sound call into its position-to-pan helper, inspect the instructions, and turn incomplete pseudocode into C. The reconstruction passes 3,205 original-x86 cases and reproduces all 63 compiled function bytes.
Read the case study · Reconstruction repository
Notion: trace the Electron clipboard bridge
Find the renderer's clipboard API, follow it through preload and IPC into the main process, and inspect the rich clipboard format.
TH04: recover a DOS bullet-ring calculation
Inspect the original PC-98 game's 16-bit instructions, recover the fixed and aimed angle calculations, and compare the reconstructed C++ with the historical compiler output.
Read the case study · Reconstruction repository
If you've used REA on something interesting, we'd love to see it. Share your case in an issue or a pull request, including the target, your question, how REA helped, and what you found.
FAQ
Which agents can use REA?
Any agent that supports local MCP servers. Setup configures the supported agents; other clients can use manual MCP registration.
Do I need Hopper, Ghidra or IDA?
Deep native analysis uses one of them. Static JavaScript and .NET inspection work without a native analysis engine. Setup can install Hopper after approval; Ghidra and IDA use your existing installations. See provider setup.
Do I need to start Hopper first?
REA starts Hopper when an operation needs it. On macOS, a first-run dialog may ask you to choose demo mode or activate your license. See Hopper startup and troubleshooting.
What does installing the skill from skills.sh do?
The skill supplies investigation instructions for your agent. Use npx rea-agents setup
to register REA's MCP server and install the matching instructions, then restart
your agent. See skill-only installation.
What code does REA return?
Native analysis returns pseudocode and assembly. JavaScript/Electron analysis recovers modules and their relationships. Your agent uses these findings to write and test an implementation; the showcases give worked examples.
Does REA upload my app?
REA analyzes targets locally. Your agent receives the tool results, and its model provider has its own data policy.
What should I do if I hit a bug?
Update first; a recent release may already fix it.
For an npm-installed CLI:
rea update
For agent setup through npx:
npx rea-agents@latest setup
If you're using an agent, complete the setup refresh and restart it. Retry the same task. If the problem persists, open an issue with your REA version, target type, steps to reproduce and error output.
Documentation
Start with the website's worked guides. For exact options, prerequisites and result contracts:
- Installation and setup: agent registration, provider configuration, updates and uninstall.
- Readiness and troubleshooting: diagnose one agent or analysis engine.
- CLI and Evidence: commands, provider selection, snapshots, import/export and exit statuses.
- MCP contracts and agent prompts: tool results, sessions and guided investigations.
- Tool catalog: generated inventory of tools, providers and CLI commands.
- Roadmap: planned work and capability trackers.
Report vulnerabilities through SECURITY.md.
Star history
🎉 60,000 GitHub stars — thank you!
Thanks to everyone using REA, reporting bugs, requesting features, testing builds, and contributing fixes.
Disclaimer
REA provides tools for lawful reverse-engineering research, analysis, and reconstruction. You are responsible for obtaining any required authorization and complying with applicable laws. The project does not endorse illegal or unauthorized use.
REA is an open-source software project. We have not issued or endorsed any cryptocurrency or token. Tokens using the REA name are not affiliated with the project.
Contributing
We'd love your help with REA! Open an issue to report a bug or suggest a feature, or send a pull request to improve the code or docs.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and checks, testing for verification lanes, and the architecture map for the project structure.