# Ghidra

> Ghidra is a software reverse engineering framework from the NSA Research Directorate (v12.1.4, Sep 2026) used for malware analysis, vulnerability research and auditing compiled code. It disassembles, decompiles, graphs and scripts (Java or Python) many instruction sets and formats, and includes a Python-driven debugger. Apache-2.0. Needs JDK 25 and 4 GB RAM; runs on Windows 10, Linux and macOS. No built-in AI assistant is documented.

- Repository: https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra
- Official docs: https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/master/GhidraDocs/GettingStarted.md
- Checked: 2026-10-15

## What it replaces
- IDA Pro: Disassembly, Decompilation, Debugging (partial). Disassembler, decompiler and debugger; processor and format parity with IDA not checked; no AI assistant built in.

## Facts, with sources

| Question | Status | Answer | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on my machine? | Confirmed | Yes, desktop application on your own machine; also runs headless | https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra#readme | 2026-10-15 |
| Code licence | Confirmed | Apache-2.0 | https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/master/LICENSE | 2026-10-15 |
| Model weights licence | Confirmed | No model weights | https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra#readme | 2026-10-15 |
| Commercial use | Confirmed | Yes, Apache-2.0 | https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/master/LICENSE | 2026-10-15 |
| Paid services needed? | Confirmed | None required | https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra#install | 2026-10-15 |
| Hardware | Confirmed | 4 GB RAM, 1 GB storage; dual monitors suggested | https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/master/GhidraDocs/GettingStarted.md#minimum-requirements | 2026-10-15 |
| Operating systems | Confirmed | Windows 10 (1809+), Linux, macOS 10.13+; 64-bit only | https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/master/GhidraDocs/GettingStarted.md#platforms-supported | 2026-10-15 |
| Setup effort | Confirmed | Medium; install JDK 25 64-bit, then unzip the release and run ghidraRun | https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra#install | 2026-10-15 |

GitHub: 89093 stars, 9951 forks, last push 2026-10-15, archived: no.
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Source: RepoQuarry (https://repoquarry.dev/projects/ghidra). Data licence: CC BY 4.0. Quotes are from project documentation and belong to their authors.