https://github.com/core-explorer/core-explorer

A DWARF parser and core dump analyzer that runs in your browser
https://github.com/core-explorer/core-explorer

debugging-tool dwarf elf linux

Last synced: 3 months ago
JSON representation

A DWARF parser and core dump analyzer that runs in your browser

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/core-explorer/core-explorer
• Owner: core-explorer
• License: other
• Created: 2024-05-02T23:24:08.000Z (almost 2 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2025-10-18T22:46:09.000Z (6 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-10-19T12:24:45.714Z (5 months ago)
• Topics: debugging-tool, dwarf, elf, linux
• Language: HTML
• Homepage: https://core-explorer.github.io/core-explorer/
• Size: 68.1 MB
• Stars: 99
• Watchers: 5
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
  • License: LICENSE

Awesome Lists containing this project

README

          
### Core Explorer ###

Core Explorer is a core dump analyzer.

A core dump analyzer is like a debugger that can only open core dumps.

It has no state, no commands. **You can make no mistakes.** [Try it now](https://core-explorer.github.io/core-explorer)

It presents files, types, objects, and the relationships between them.

Features:

* ELF parser for executables, shared libraries and core dumps.

* DWARF parser for debug information. Presents files, namespaces, types and variables in a manner similar to doxygen.

* supports the debuginfod protocol to download debug information

* Coredump parser: 

    * identify all C++ objects in memory that possess virtual methods. This works even for stripped binaries.

    * identify all allocations allocated or freed by glibc malloc. This requires debug information for the C library and ld.so

    * identify memory leaks and references into freed allocations (temporarily not exposed in UI until refactoring is complete)

    * unwind the stack for all threads and display local variables and function parameters. Requires unwind information in the Itanium ABI, does not support compact unwind information used by 32-bit ARM.

![Dark Theme](images/namespace_std_dark.png)

![Light Theme](images/namespace_std_light.png)

Work in progress:

* find the shortest possible name for C++ types and functions

* using debug information, recursively follow all pointers in identified objects on the stack, heap, global variables and thread local storage

* search and queries

Limitations:

* Platform dependent features have only been implemented for x86-64 and aarch64.

* Only tested with user space applications and only on Linux, support for FreeBSD is in progress.

* If you run this in your web browser, you are limited to 2GB total memory.

* It does not have progress bars.

I have created a selection of core dumps with various problems:

*  [Invalid pointer derefence](https://core-explorer.github.io/core-explorer/index-st.html?download=https://core-explorer.github.io/binary-samples/cpp-examples/x86_64-Debug-bookworm/PointerExample.gdb.core&download1=https://core-explorer.github.io/binary-samples/cpp-examples/x86_64-Debug-bookworm/PointerExample)

* [Calling a virtual function from a base class](https://core-explorer.github.io/core-explorer/index-st.html?download=https://core-explorer.github.io/binary-samples/cpp-examples/x86_64-Debug-noble/VirtualExample.gdb.core&download1=https://core-explorer.github.io/binary-samples/cpp-examples/x86_64-Debug-noble/VirtualExample)

* [leaking memory](https://core-explorer.github.io/core-explorer/index-st.html?download=https://core-explorer.github.io/binary-samples/cpp-examples/x86_64-Debug-bookworm-clang/NewExample.gdb.core&download1=https://core-explorer.github.io/binary-samples/cpp-examples/x86_64-Debug-bookworm-clang/NewExample)

* [Corrupting malloc metadata](https://core-explorer.github.io/core-explorer/index-st.html?download=https://core-explorer.github.io/binary-samples/cpp-examples/x86_64-Debug-noble/VectorExample.gdb.core&download1=https://core-explorer.github.io/binary-samples/cpp-examples/x86_64-Debug-noble/VectorExample)

![Memory Leaks](images/memory_leak_light.png)

## Standalone Application ##

There is also a standalone node.js application [cdx.js](README_cdx.md).

## Important: ##

*Do not leak client data by sharing core dumps.* 

*Do not leak confidential information by sharing debug information.*

Core Explorer runs exclusively in your browser, all uploads happen inside your browser.

Your files are never stored anywhere. Core Explorer does not use tracking, analytics or cookies.