https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg
Exploit Development and Reverse Engineering with GDB & LLDB Made Easy
https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg
binary-ninja capture-the-flag ctf debugging disassembler exploit-development gdb gef hacking-tool ida-pro linux lldb low-level malware-analysis pwnable pwndbg python reverse-engineering
Last synced: 3 months ago
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Exploit Development and Reverse Engineering with GDB & LLDB Made Easy
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg
- Owner: pwndbg
- License: mit
- Created: 2015-02-22T21:35:19.000Z (about 11 years ago)
- Default Branch: dev
- Last Pushed: 2025-05-08T22:15:22.000Z (about 1 year ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-05-08T23:44:25.271Z (about 1 year ago)
- Topics: binary-ninja, capture-the-flag, ctf, debugging, disassembler, exploit-development, gdb, gef, hacking-tool, ida-pro, linux, lldb, low-level, malware-analysis, pwnable, pwndbg, python, reverse-engineering
- Language: Python
- Homepage: https://pwndbg.re/
- Size: 29.1 MB
- Stars: 8,581
- Watchers: 134
- Forks: 995
- Open Issues: 174
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Contributing: .github/CONTRIBUTING.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
- License: LICENSE.md
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README
# pwndbg
[](https://choosealicense.com/licenses/mit/)
[](https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg/actions/workflows/tests.yml)
[](https://app.codecov.io/github/pwndbg/pwndbg/tree/dev)
[](https://discord.gg/x47DssnGwm)
`pwndbg` (/paʊnˈdiˌbʌɡ/) is a GDB and LLDB plug-in that makes debugging suck less,
with a focus on features needed by low-level software developers, hardware hackers,
reverse-engineers and exploit developers.
It has a boatload of features, see our [Features page](https://pwndbg.re/stable/features/)
and [CHEATSHEET][CHEATSHEET] (feel free to print it!). If you have any questions you may read the
[documentation](https://pwndbg.re/stable/) or asks us in our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/x47DssnGwm).
[CHEATSHEET]: https://pwndbg.re/dev/CHEATSHEET.pdf
## Why?
Vanilla GDB and LLDB are terrible to use for reverse engineering and exploit development.
Typing `x/30gx $rsp` or navigating cumbersome LLDB commands is not fun and often provides
minimal information. The year is 2026, and core debuggers still lack many user-friendly
features such as a robust hexdump command. WinDbg users are completely lost when they
occasionally need to bump into GDB or LLDB.
Pwndbg is a Python module which can be loaded into GDB or run as a REPL interface for LLDB.
It provides a suite of utilities and enhancements that fill the gaps left by these debuggers,
smoothing out rough edges and making them more user-friendly.
## Installation
See [installation instructions](https://pwndbg.re/stable/setup).
## What about ...?
Many past ([gdbinit][gdbinit], [PEDA][PEDA]) and present projects ([GEF][GEF],
[bata24/GEF][bata24/GEF]) offer great features, but are hard to extend and are packaged
as large single files ([103KB][gdbinit2], [195KB][peda.py], [423KB][gef.py],
[5.24MB][bata24/gef.py]). Pwndbg aims to replace them with a faster, cleaner, and
more robust implementation.
[gdbinit]: https://github.com/gdbinit/Gdbinit
[gdbinit2]: https://github.com/gdbinit/Gdbinit/blob/master/gdbinit
[PEDA]: https://github.com/longld/peda
[peda.py]: https://github.com/longld/peda/blob/master/peda.py
[GEF]: https://github.com/hugsy/gef
[gef.py]: https://github.com/hugsy/gef/blob/main/gef.py
[bata24/GEF]: https://github.com/bata24/gef
[bata24/gef.py]: https://github.com/bata24/gef/blob/dev/gef.py
## When to Use GDB or LLDB?
Pwndbg supports both GDB and LLDB, and each debugger has its own strengths.
Here's a quick guide to help you decide which one to use:
| Use Case | Supported Debugger |
|-------------------------------------------------|----------------------|
| Debugging Linux binaries or ELF files | **GDB**, **LLDB** |
| Debugging Mach-O binaries on macOS | **LLDB** |
| Linux kernel debugging (qemu-system) | **GDB**, **LLDB** |
| Linux user-space emulation (qemu-user) | **GDB** |
| Embedded debugging (ARM Cortex M* or RISC-V/32) | **GDB**, **LLDB** |
Pwndbg ensures a consistent experience across both, so switching between them is seamless.
> The LLDB implementation in pwndbg is still in early-stage and may contain bugs or limitations.
> Known issues are tracked in [GitHub Issues][lldb_tracker].
>
> If you encounter any problems, feel free to report them or discuss on our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/x47DssnGwm).
[lldb_tracker]: https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg/issues?q=is%3Aissue%20state%3Aopen%20label%3A%22LLDB%20Port%22
### Compatibility Table
| Feature | Supported Version | Notes |
|-------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
| pwndbg-gdb | - Python 3.10+
- GDB 12.1+ | Battle-tested on Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 |
| pwndbg-lldb | - Python 3.12+
- LLDB 19+ | Experimental/early-stage support |
| qemu-user | QEMU 8.1+ | vFile API is needed for vmmap |
| qemu-system | QEMU 6.2+ | Supported version since ubuntu 22.04 |
## Contributing
Pull requests are welcome ❤️. Check out the [Contributing Guide](https://pwndbg.re/dev/contributing/).
## Acknowledgements
Pwndbg was originally created by [Zach Riggle](https://github.com/zachriggle), who is no longer with us. We want to thank Zach for all of his contributions to pwndbg and the wider security community.