Ghidra: How to import third-party .jar files used by my script

[wanchouchou]

Hi, I write a script, in scripts manager, for doing some de-obfuscation operations. This script needs some external utility classes defined in a third-party .jar file, but I don't know how to import these third-party .jar files used by my script. Does GHIDRA support it? If it is, please tell me how to do it, thanks.

[ryanmkurtz]

If you are writing and sharing a script that requires a 3rd party jar, the supported way to do this is to create a Ghidra module with your script in the module's ghidra_scripts directory and your jar in the module's lib diretory. You can then export your Ghidra module as a Ghidra extension (zip file) and deliver it that way. Just be mindful of the licensing of your jar file to make sure it's compatible.

[kiritowch]

If you are writing and sharing a script that requires a 3rd party jar, the supported way to do this is to create a Ghidra module with your script in the module's ghidra_scripts directory and your jar in the module's lib diretory. You can then export your Ghidra module as a Ghidra extension (zip file) and deliver it that way. Just be mindful of the licensing of your jar file to make sure it's compatible.

I also met the same problem, sorry I didn't understand your approach.
I loaded the third-party library through eclipse, and then it can be used normally, but it must be started from eclipse every time.
It seems that your method is better, I want to ask if there are any steps.....

[ryanmkurtz]

The approach I described assumed you are using our GhidraDev Eclipse plugin to create the Ghidra Module project, and the GhidraDev plugin to export that project as an extension.

[dlmgary]

This is an old thread but hopefully you find this info useful.

I found that Ghidra checks adds the --classpath here https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/7b76afee937f2309ac1f4ebf17ab91980a6d6874/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/script/JavaScriptProvider.java#L230-L231

If you trace that a bit, you'll see that getClassPath() adds everything in System.getProperty("java.class.path") . If you check that, you'll find that Ghidra adds all the .jars in the ~/Ghidra/* folder, but it also adds things from ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins (a local hidden Ghidra directory, not where Ghidra is installed).

Solution

Add all the external dependencies to ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins/. If you do that, all your scripts will have access to them.

Example

$ cd ghidra_9.X.X_PUBLIC

# You might or might not need to create this folder
$ mkdir -p ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins

$ ls ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins
(empty)

# Fails because it cannot find external library
$ ./support/analyzeHeadless ghidra://sample.ghidra.server.com:/PATH -postScript SCRIPT.java -process FILE -connect USER -p 
...
SCRIPT.java:1: error: package javax.json does not exist
import javax.json.*;
^
...

# Copy your external libraries to be in Ghidra's classpath
$ mv ~/javax.json.jar ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins
$ ls ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins
javax.json.jar

# This time it success
$ ./support/analyzeHeadless ghidra://sample.ghidra.server.com:/PATH -postScript SCRIPT.java -process FILE -connect USER -p 

[wanchouchou]

This is an old thread but hopefully you find this info useful.

I found that Ghidra checks adds the --classpath here

https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/7b76afee937f2309ac1f4ebf17ab91980a6d6874/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/script/JavaScriptProvider.java#L230-L231

If you trace that a bit, you'll see that getClassPath() adds everything in System.getProperty("java.class.path") . If you check that, you'll find that Ghidra adds all the .jars in the ~/Ghidra/* folder, but it also adds things from ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins.

Solution

My fix was to add all the external dependencies to ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins/. If you do that, all your scripts will have access to them.

Example

$ cd ghidra_9.X.X_PUBLIC

# You might or might not need to create this folder
$ mkdir -p ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins

$ ls ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins
(empty)

# Fails because it cannot find external library
$ ./support/analyzeHeadless ghidra://sample.ghidra.server.com:/PATH -postScript SCRIPT.java -process FILE -connect USER -p 
...
SCRIPT.java:1: error: package javax.json does not exist
import javax.json.*;
^
...

# Copy your external libraries to be in Ghidra's classpath
$ mv ~/javax.json.jar ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins
$ ls ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins
javax.json.jar

# This time it success
$ ./support/analyzeHeadless ghidra://sample.ghidra.server.com:/PATH -postScript SCRIPT.java -process FILE -connect USER -p 

Thanks. This is real a useful approach, if some one did not want to create a Ghidra Module project.

[pabx06]

@dlmgary
thanks for the ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins TIPS saved me time digging into lunch script logic .

May i complement the first question ?
now that java.class.path is problems is solved

is there a similar folder path for java.library.path ?

printing on the console gives me those value java.library.path=/usr/java/packages/lib:/usr/lib64:/lib64:/lib:/usr/lib

i kinda looking for a portable user based solution since i think java >8 kinda don't like lib being added to jdk's lib cant remeber well... what was the story

and modding the lunch script would lead me to forget what i did on the next install and rerun of my script ... since JNI ERROS are not verbose => a pain to trouble shoots

[pabx06]

@dlmgary
thanks for the ~/.ghidra/.ghidra_9.1.2_PUBLIC/plugins TIPS saved me time digging into lunch script logic .

May i complement the first question ?
now that java.class.path is problems is solved

is there a similar folder path for java.library.path ?

printing on the console gives me those value java.library.path=/usr/java/packages/lib:/usr/lib64:/lib64:/lib:/usr/lib

i kinda looking for a portable user based solution since i think java >8 kinda don't like lib being added to jdk's lib cant remeber well... what was the story

and modding the lunch script would lead me to forget what i did on the next install and rerun of my script ... since JNI ERROS are not verbose => a pain to trouble shoots

that was a silly question my JNI libs are already in /usr/lib . so no setup required ... ghidra lunch script relay good.
thanks NSA