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BAP (Binary Analysis Platform)
What BAP (Binary Analysis Platform) is
BAP (Binary Analysis Platform) is a free, open-source suite for examining programs in machine representation. It is intended for security analysis, program verification, reverse engineering, and firmware analysis. BAP runs as a command-line framework or can be embedded in OCaml and other applications through C bindings. Its disassemble command processes a binary into an architecture-independent form, builds a control-flow graph, and applies analysis passes you define. Included tools cover standard interpretation, microexecution, symbolic execution, and hybrid analysis. Supported architectures include x86, x86-64, ARM, MIPS, and PowerPC, with plugins able to add more. The plugin framework can add analyses or change behavior without recompiling BAP. Analyses can be written in OCaml or Primus Lisp, which supports verification conditions, function models, and SMT-solver interfaces. The default LLVM loader handles ELF, Mach-O, and COFF files, including Windows PE. Packages target Debian and Red Hat derivatives, while source installation uses opam.
Who it suits
BAP suits security analysts, reverse engineers, and verification developers working with binaries or firmware. It also fits teams needing a plugin-based command-line or embeddable analysis framework.
What it does well
- Free plan and MIT License
- Supports five listed CPU architectures
- Symbolic and microexecution interpreters included
- Plugin API extends analyses and architectures
- Loads ELF, Mach-O, and COFF files
What to know first
- Python support is described as minimal
- OCaml analysis development requires source installation
- No decompiler is listed
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| BAP | Open source binary analysis platform | Free |
As binaryanalysisplatform.github.io lists them, read 7 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
BAP combines disassembly, interpreters, symbolic execution, and extensibility for low-level program analysis. Its command-line and library options suit technical users comfortable with OCaml, plugins, or binary formats.
Facts from BAP (Binary Analysis Platform)'s own pages
- Analysis capabilities
- BAP includes analyses, a standard interpreter, a microexecution interpreter, and a symbolic executor. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Analysis tools
- BAP includes analyses, a standard interpreter, a microexecution interpreter, and a symbolic executor. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Architectures
- BAP supports x86, x86-64, ARM, MIPS, and PowerPC, with additional architectures addable through plugins. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Command-line workflow
- The `disassemble` command disassembles a binary, lifts it into an architecture-agnostic representation, builds a control flow graph, and applies user-defined analyses. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Development dependency
- Writing analyses in OCaml requires installing BAP from source because the binary packages do not include the OCaml development environment. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Disassembly
- BAP's disassemble command lifts binaries into an architecture-independent representation, builds a control-flow graph, and applies user-defined analysis passes. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Embedding and bindings
- BAP can be embedded as a library in OCaml or other-language applications using C bindings, and the project describes its Python support as minimal. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Executable formats
- The default LLVM loader supports ELF, Mach-O, and COFF formats, including Windows PE. · binaryanalysisplatform.github.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- BAP is a plugin-based framework whose plugins can add analyses or change existing functionality without recompiling BAP. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States · binaryanalysisplatform.github.io, 28 Sept 2026
- Installation
- Prebuilt packages are provided for Debian and Red Hat derivatives, with tgz archives for other distributions; source installation through opam is recommended for OCaml development. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The project documents interfaces and plugins for IDA Pro, Ghidra, and LLVM. · binaryanalysisplatform.github.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Intended use
- The project describes BAP as used for security analysis, program verification, and reverse engineering. · binaryanalysisplatform.github.io, 7 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository distributes BAP under the MIT License, which grants permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, sublicense, and sell copies subject to its terms. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- The official About page says BAP is built and maintained by David Brumley's research group at Carnegie Mellon University. · binaryanalysisplatform.github.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Primus Lisp
- Its domain-specific Primus Lisp language can implement analyses, specify verification conditions, model functions, and interface with an SMT solver. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Programming language
- BAP is written in OCaml and provides the Primus Lisp domain-specific language for implementing analyses, specifying verification conditions, modeling functions, and interfacing with an SMT solver. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- BAP is a suite of utilities and libraries for analyzing programs in their machine representation. · binaryanalysisplatform.github.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Python
- The project provides minimal Python support to help users start learning BAP. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- The installation instructions direct users who encounter missing system dependencies to the project's chat for help. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Supported architectures
- BAP supports x86, x86-64, ARM, MIPS, and PowerPC, and can add architectures through plugins. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Use as library
- BAP can run as a command-line framework or be embedded as a library in OCaml or other applications using C bindings. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
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