This file records concrete gaps in the current Ghidra MCP workflow.
Update it whenever a task requires PyGhidra or another local-only fallback because MCP lacks the needed operation.
For each new entry, keep the format short:
- Missing capability
- Current fallback
- Why it matters in this repo
- Proposed MCP endpoint or behavior
## Current Wishlist
### Live MCP Issues Hit During Spanish Cheat Pass (2026-03-26)
- Missing capability: working `search_bytes(...)` requests against the currently opened program.
- Current fallback: `read_region(...)`, `get_data_uses(...)`, `search_instructions(...)`, and manual/xref-driven narrowing inside `/es/CRUSADER.EXE`.
- Why it matters: the Spanish-cheat question specifically needed a direct full-memory search for the English `jassica16` scan-code table and any plausible replacement sequence.
- Proposed MCP behavior: `search_bytes(...)` should honor the active program context by default and return a machine-friendly empty-hit result when no matches exist, not `HTTP 404 No context found for request`.
- Missing capability: reliable explicit target selection on read/query endpoints in the live server session.
- Current fallback: repo notes plus manual project `.prp` metadata inspection after `read_region(...)` and `get_function_by_address(...)` ignored explicit root-vs-`/es` selectors and still resolved against the active Spanish program.
- Why it matters: this repo routinely needs side-by-side comparisons between `/CRUSADER.EXE`, `/es/CRUSADER.EXE`, `/Writable/...`, and other project entries without changing the active Ghidra tab.
- Proposed MCP behavior: all selector-aware read endpoints should actually bind to the requested `project_dir` / `project_name` / `folder_path` / `program_name`, or return a structured target-resolution failure instead of silently reading the active program.
- Missing capability: consistent context handling for project/runtime metadata helpers in the live server session.
- Current fallback: direct `get_project_access_info()` plus workspace-side `.prp` reads after `list_project_programs(...)`, `get_callers(...)`, `compare_functions(...)`, and `get_runtime_capabilities()` returned `404 No context found for request` during an otherwise healthy active-program session.
- Why it matters: these are the exact helper endpoints needed to validate which program is active, enumerate comparison targets, and reason about whether a failure is a real analysis result or an MCP/session problem.
- Proposed MCP behavior: metadata helpers should either work whenever an active program exists or return structured unsupported-state details, not raw 404 context failures.
- Status update (2026-03-26, later Spanish pass): the refreshed live server still returned `404 No context found for request` for `get_runtime_capabilities(...)` and `get_callers(...)` during an active `/es/CRUSADER.EXE` session, so this is still a live deployment or routing problem, not just an earlier-session artifact.
### Open Gaps Found During Hidden Usecode Debugger Patch Batch (2026-03-24)
- Missing capability: write-capable project/program selection for MCP edit operations.
- Current fallback: local PyGhidra `run-script` plus `read-region` against `--project-dir K:\ghidra\Crusader_Decomp --project-name Crusader --folder-path /Writable --program-name CRUSADER-PATCHED.EXE`.
- Why it matters: retail NE patch work in this repo must sometimes modify and save `/Writable/CRUSADER-PATCHED.EXE` with the GUI closed, while current MCP write flows depend on the active Ghidra session/program context.
- Proposed MCP addition: add bridge-exposed target selectors (`project_dir`, `project_name`, `folder_path`, `program_name`) for write endpoints, backed by plugin support to open the requested project file, apply `patch_bytes_and_reanalyze` or edit-plan writes, and save deterministically.
- Status update (2026-03-24): local fork now accepts optional `project_dir`, `project_name`, `folder_path`, and `program_name` selectors on `apply_program_edit_plan` and `patch_bytes_and_reanalyze`; explicit targets are opened through `GhidraProject`, written, saved deterministically, and then released.
- Status update (2026-03-24, follow-up): explicit target resolution now reuses an already-open matching program when possible and otherwise opens a writable domain object directly; MCP no longer opens explicit targets in read-only mode for edit operations.
### Open Gaps Found During Current 0x4588 Pass (2026-03-21)
- Missing capability: usable read-only scripting in the live MCP/Ghidra session.
- Current fallback: terminal-side Python and manual MCP inspection windows after `run_readonly_script` returned `Ghidra was not started with PyGhidra. Python is not available`.
- Why it matters: one-off structure probes and byte-pattern scans are still common during EUSECODE and overlap work, and they are much cleaner as constrained in-process reads than as external heuristics.
- Proposed MCP addition: expose runtime capability state for `run_readonly_script` and either guarantee a working in-process script engine or return a machine-friendly unsupported-state response early.
- Status update (2026-03-24): local fork now exposes `get_runtime_capabilities()` with readonly-script probe state and `run_readonly_script()` returns structured `status`/`reason`/`detail` output early when Python support is unavailable in the live session.
- Status update (2026-03-24, follow-up): `open_current_program_readonly()` is now intentionally disabled and returns an unsupported-state response so MCP does not create accidental read-only program instances in normal workflow.
- Status update (2026-03-21): the current live plugin process still returns HTTP 404 for direct symbol routes (`/get_symbol_at`, `/symbol_at`) in this chat session, but bridge `get_symbol_at(address)` now avoids raw 404s by falling back to compatible legacy endpoints and returning deterministic symbol-state output (for example `0x844` -> `symbol=<none>`).
- Remaining gap: reload/redeploy the updated plugin build so direct symbol routes are present in the live process; bridge fallback now covers older live builds in the meantime.
- Implemented now:
-`get_xrefs_to(address)` / `get_xrefs_from(address)` with typed ref kinds (`call`, `read`, `write`, `jump`, `other`) plus containing-function metadata.
- tolerant `set_function_prototype` retries for legacy calling-convention tokens (for example `__cdecl16far`) and returns an accepted template example on parse/apply failure.
-`rename_data(address, new_name)` now renames or creates the primary symbol at any valid address and returns the resolved symbol metadata instead of `Rename data attempted`.
-`get_symbol_at(address)` returns the primary symbol state at an address so label changes can be verified directly without depending on decompiler refresh timing.
-`get_symbol_at(address)` now resolves the active program on the Swing thread, falls back to the visible/open program when the current-program pointer is transiently unavailable, and the bridge retries the compatible `/symbol_at` alias if a stale server route returns `404 No context found for request`.
- bridge `get_symbol_at(address)` now probes additional legacy aliases (`getSymbolAt`, `symbolAt`, `get_symbol`) and, if symbol routes are absent, derives symbol state from legacy endpoints (`get_function_by_address`, paged `data`) so callers receive machine-friendly output instead of a raw 404.
- Local bridge audit (2026-03-21): `get_xrefs_to` / `get_xrefs_from` wrappers are already present in `K:\mcp\GhidraMCP\bridge_mcp_ghidra.py`; if a client still does not surface them, that is a client/tool-refresh issue rather than a missing local-fork endpoint.
## Implemented In Local GhidraMCP Fork (2026-03-21)
Added endpoints in `K:\mcp\GhidraMCP\src\main\java\com\lauriewired\GhidraMCPPlugin.java` and tools in `K:\mcp\GhidraMCP\bridge_mcp_ghidra.py`:
- Missing capability: open a locked project read-only or query a specified project clone directly from MCP.
- Current fallback: local PyGhidra against an unlocked temporary project clone.
- Why it matters: the GUI often owns the main project while read-only inspection still needs to continue.
- Proposed MCP addition: read-only project selection/open options for all analysis endpoints.
- Missing capability: run a small read-only script for one-off inspections that do not justify a permanent MCP endpoint yet.
- Current fallback: local PyGhidra `run-script --read-only`.
- Why it matters: several repo workflows start as one-off analysis helpers before they prove worth productizing.
- Proposed MCP addition: a constrained `run_readonly_script(script_text|script_path)` endpoint with explicit safety limits.
### Migrated entries from `ghidra-mcp_wishlist.md`
Short, concrete gaps hit during live Crusader work. Each entry records what MCP lacked, what fallback was needed, and what a useful MCP feature should look like.
## Open Gaps (migrated)
### Byte-pattern search across program memory
- Status: implemented in local fork (2026-03-26)
- Missing MCP capability: search raw bytes or byte patterns across the current program's mapped segments / address spaces.
- Fallback used: manual `read_region` sweeps plus local Python over the MCP HTTP bridge to scan live Spanish `CRUSADER.EXE` memory for the `jassica16` scan-code table.
- accepts hex byte patterns with optional wildcards
- returns exact hit addresses plus nearby hex context
- Why it matters: this would have closed the Spanish cheat-sequence question directly inside MCP instead of forcing ad hoc local scripting.
- Status update (2026-03-26): local fork now exposes `search_bytes(pattern, start?, end?, segment_filter?, max_hits?)` in both the Java plugin and Python bridge; it accepts `??` wildcards, scans mapped memory blocks, and returns machine-friendly hit lines with block names and nearby hex context.
### Reliable caller/xref recovery for local call sites
- Status: implemented in local fork (2026-03-26)
- Missing MCP capability: reliable function-call xrefs for near/local calls inside the active program.
- Fallback used: manual `search_instructions` and instruction-window inspection because `get_function_xrefs` did not surface some obvious local call sites in the Spanish keyboard/helper cluster.
- Useful MCP feature:
- improve `get_function_xrefs` so it includes near calls, far calls, tail-call-style jumps, and thunk references consistently
- or add `get_callers(address_or_name, include_near=true, include_far=true, include_jumps=true)`
- Why it matters: tracing helper chains around hidden key-sequence code is slower and less reliable when local callers have to be reconstructed by text search.
- Status update (2026-03-26): local fork now exposes `get_callers(target, include_near=true, include_far=true, include_jumps=true, limit?)`, combining reference-manager hits with instruction-flow scans so local near-call sites show up even when plain xrefs are incomplete; `get_function_xrefs` now reuses the same caller recovery path.
### Cross-program reads inside the same Ghidra project
- Status: implemented in local fork (2026-03-26)
- Missing MCP capability: read/query another program or assembly in the same project without switching the active program first.
- Fallback used: indirect comparison against repo notes, workspace-side files, and ad hoc local scripts instead of querying `/CRUSADER.EXE`, `/es/CRUSADER.EXE`, `/Writable/...`, or other domain files side by side through MCP.
- Useful MCP feature:
- allow explicit target selectors on all read/query endpoints, not only write endpoints
- same for strings, functions, xrefs, data uses, decompile, disassemble, symbol lookup, and segment listing
- Why it matters: live localized-build comparisons and writable-copy verification should not require changing the active Ghidra tab just to inspect another program.
- Status update (2026-03-26): read/query endpoints in the local fork now accept optional explicit target selectors (`project_dir`, `project_name`, `folder_path`, `program_name`) and reuse the same target-resolution layer as write flows; this now covers method/class listings, segments, imports/exports, namespaces, data items, function lookup/listing, decompile/disassembly, symbol lookup, regions, instruction scans, strings, xrefs, and data-use queries.
### Cross-project / cross-program compare tooling
- Status: implemented in local fork (2026-03-26)
- Missing MCP capability: first-class compare operations between two programs in the same project or across projects.
- machine-readable output with address pairs, similarity score, and differing bytes/instructions/strings
- Why it matters: this would make English vs Spanish / Remorse vs Regret / raw vs live NE comparisons much faster and less error-prone.
- Status update (2026-03-26): local fork now exposes `compare_regions(...)`, `compare_strings(...)`, and `compare_functions(...)` with left/right explicit target selectors; outputs are machine-friendly and include comparison mode, similarity score, and capped difference samples for byte/word, disassembly, string, signature, decompile, and xref views.
### Port renames/comments/symbol facts between programs
- Status: implemented in local fork (2026-03-26)
- Missing MCP capability: apply verified names/comments from one program to another program with explicit provenance instead of re-entering them one by one.
- Fallback used: manual rename/comment batches plus external notes to carry mapping provenance.
- support direct address maps, segment-relative maps, and user-supplied CSV/JSON mapping tables
- dry-run mode showing collisions and ambiguous targets
- Why it matters: porting verified English or raw-import findings into Spanish or live NE targets is a recurring workflow.
- Status update (2026-03-26): local fork now exposes `port_symbols(mappings, apply=names|comments|both, provenance_comment_template?, dry_run?)` with `source_*` and `target_*` selectors; the bridge accepts a verified list of source/target address pairs and the plugin ports names plus PRE/EOL comments with optional provenance text and explicit-target save support.
### Project inventory / browse endpoint
- Status: implemented in local fork (2026-03-26)
- Missing MCP capability: list project folders and available programs through MCP.
- Fallback used: repo-side assumptions and local tooling; the current MCP read tools expose only the active program cleanly.
- Status update (2026-03-26): local fork now exposes `list_project_programs(project_dir?, project_name?, folder_path?, recursive=true)` plus a `project_programs` alias; it walks project folders and returns machine-friendly program inventory lines with folder path, program name, content type, read-only/versioned flags, and current-open state.
### Class / namespace authoring for C++ lifting
- Missing MCP capability: create and manage Ghidra class or namespace symbols, then move existing functions under those owners as methods.
- Current fallback: manual Ghidra GUI edits in the Symbol Tree or one-off local scripts outside the normal MCP workflow.
- Why it matters: the Remorse binary already shows repeated ctor/dtor patterns, stable vtable roots, and class-like object families, but the current MCP workflow can only rename flat functions. That blocks a disciplined shift from procedural naming toward grouped C++-style ownership.
- machine-friendly responses that include the final symbol path and any rename collisions.
### Vtable / OO recovery helpers for class reconstruction
- Missing MCP capability: first-class helpers for identifying vtables, attaching function slots to candidate classes, and materializing class/instance layouts from evidence-backed data.
- Current fallback: manual note collation from decompiler/disassembly output plus ad hoc datatype work in the GUI.
- Why it matters: the repo already has enough evidence to start lifting major families into C++ classes, but a recompilable source path needs more than renamed functions. It needs reproducible vtable maps, `this`-pointer typing, field layouts, inheritance guesses, and explicit provenance for each class model.
