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# pwndbg
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[](https://choosealicense.com/licenses/mit/)
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[](https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg/actions/workflows/tests.yml)
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[](https://app.codecov.io/github/pwndbg/pwndbg/tree/dev)
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[](https://discord.gg/x47DssnGwm)
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`pwndbg` (/paʊnˈdiˌbʌɡ/) is a GDB and LLDB plug-in that makes debugging suck less,
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with a focus on features needed by low-level software developers, hardware hackers,
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reverse-engineers and exploit developers.
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It has a boatload of features, see [FEATURES.md](https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg/blob/dev/FEATURES.md) and [CHEATSHEET][CHEATSHEET]
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(feel free to print it!).
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[CHEATSHEET]: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16t9MV8KTFXK7oX_CzXhmDdaVnjT8IYM4/view?usp=drive_link
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## Why?
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Vanilla GDB and LLDB are terrible to use for reverse engineering and exploit development.
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Typing `x/g30x $esp` or navigating cumbersome LLDB commands is not fun and often provides
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minimal information. The year is 2025, and core debuggers still lack many user-friendly
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features such as a robust hexdump command. Windbg users are completely lost when they
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occasionally need to bump into GDB or LLDB.
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## What?
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Pwndbg is a Python module which is loaded directly into GDB or LLDB*. It provides a suite
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of utilities and enhancements that fill the gaps left by these debuggers, smoothing out
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rough edges and making them more user-friendly.
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Many other projects from the past (e.g., [gdbinit][gdbinit], [PEDA][PEDA]) and present
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(e.g. [GEF][GEF]) exist to fill some these gaps. Each provides an excellent experience
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and great features -- but they're difficult to extend (some are unmaintained, and all
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are a single [100KB][gdbinit2], [200KB][peda.py], or [363KB][gef.py] file (respectively)).
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Pwndbg exists not only to replace all of its predecessors, but also to have a clean
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implementation that runs quickly and is resilient against all the weird corner cases
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that come up. It also comes batteries-included, so all of its features are available
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if you run `setup.sh`.
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[gdbinit]: https://github.com/gdbinit/Gdbinit
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[gdbinit2]: https://github.com/gdbinit/Gdbinit/blob/master/gdbinit
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[PEDA]: https://github.com/longld/peda
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[peda.py]: https://github.com/longld/peda/blob/master/peda.py
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[GEF]: https://github.com/hugsy/gef
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[gef.py]: https://github.com/hugsy/gef/blob/master/gef.py
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## When to Use GDB or LLDB?
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Pwndbg supports both GDB and LLDB, and each debugger has its own strengths.
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Here's a quick guide to help you decide which one to use:
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| Use Case | Supported Debugger |
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|-------------------------------------------------|----------------------|
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| Debugging Linux binaries or ELF files | **GDB**, **LLDB** |
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| Debugging Mach-O binaries on macOS | **LLDB** |
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| Linux kernel debugging (qemu-system) | **GDB**, **LLDB** |
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| Linux user-space emulation (qemu-user) | **GDB** |
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| Embedded debugging (ARM Cortex M* or RISC-V/32) | **GDB**, **LLDB** |
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Pwndbg ensures a consistent experience across both, so switching between them is seamless.
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> The LLDB implementation in Pwndbg is still in early-stage and may contain bugs or limitations.<br/>
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> Known issues are tracked in [GitHub Issues][lldb_tracker].
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>
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> If you encounter any problems, feel free to report them or discuss on our [Discord server][discord].
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[lldb_tracker]: https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg/issues?q=is%3Aissue%20state%3Aopen%20label%3A%22LLDB%20Port%22
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### Compatibility Table
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| Feature | Supported Version | Notes |
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|-------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
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| pwndbg-gdb | - Python 3.10+ <br/>- GDB 12.1+ | Battle-tested on Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 |
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| pwndbg-lldb | - Python 3.12+ <br/>- LLDB 19+ | Experimental/early-stage support |
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| qemu-user | QEMU 8.1+ | vFile API is needed for vmmap |
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| qemu-system | QEMU 6.2+ | Supported version since ubuntu 22.04 |
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## How?
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See [installation instructions](https://pwndbg.re/pwndbg/dev/setup).
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## What can I do with that?
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For further info about features/functionalities, see [FEATURES](https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg/blob/dev/FEATURES.md).
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## Who?
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Pwndbg is an open-source project, maintained by [many contributors](https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg/graphs/contributors)!
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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.
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Want to help with development? Read [CONTRIBUTING](https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg/blob/dev/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md) or [join our Discord server][discord]!
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## How to develop?
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To run tests locally you can do this in docker image, after cloning repo run simply
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```shell
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docker compose run main ./tests.sh
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```
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Disclaimer - this won't work on apple silicon macs.
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## Contact
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If you have any questions not worthy of a [bug report](https://github.com/pwndbg/pwndbg/issues), feel free to ping
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anybody on [Discord][discord] and ask away.
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[discord]: https://discord.gg/x47DssnGwm
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