Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Binary Analysis Patterns agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The binary-analysis-patterns skill is a reference guide that gives an AI agent knowledge of how common code constructs look in compiled programs, such as if statements, loops, switch tables, struct field access and string functions. It is aimed at security researchers, students and developers who need to understand a compiled program without its source code. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for help with it, and where its limits are.
Binary Analysis Patternswshobson/agents · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it on your computer.
- 2Place the folder. Move the unzipped binary-analysis-patterns folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or into .claude/skills/ inside one project.
- 3Or upload it in the apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill.
- 4Open your binary. Load the executable in Ghidra, IDA Pro or Binary Ninja so you can view its disassembly or decompiled output.
- 5Ask in plain language. Describe your task and paste the listing or decompiled snippet you are studying.
- 6Apply and verify. Test any suggested renames, types or constructs against the binary inside your analysis tool before relying on them.
What does the binary-analysis-patterns skill make the agent do?
An agent skill is a folder of instructions and reference material that an AI agent loads when a task matches the skill's description. This one covers reading compiled programs (executables) without source code. Its main file, SKILL.md, lists patterns for conditional branches, loops, switch statements, array and structure access, linked list traversal, string operations, arithmetic and bit manipulation, plus notes on recovering variables, function signatures and types.
The skill can help interpret disassembly output and suggest how to clean up decompiled code in tools such as Ghidra or IDA Pro. It also includes example snippets for Ghidra and IDA Pro scripting. The skill is documentation and examples only; it does not run any program on its own.
Install the skill from the ZIP download
Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. To make it available to all your projects, place the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To make it available only inside one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
If you use the Claude apps instead, you can upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Ask for help with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The skill's description tells the agent to use it when you are analyzing executables, understanding compiled code or doing static analysis on binaries, so describe your task in plain language. Mention the tool you are working in (Ghidra, IDA Pro or Binary Ninja) when it matters.
Give the agent the disassembly or decompiler output you are looking at. Pasting a short snippet works better than describing it from memory.
- "This Ghidra decompilation has a loop that reads a byte at a time. What construct is it likely to be?"
- "Here is an assembly listing with a jump table. Help me work out the switch cases."
- "Does this sequence look like a struct field access or an array index?"
- "Suggest better variable names and types for this decompiled function."
Examples of what the skill covers
The skill documents how common constructs appear in x86-64 assembly. For example, a signed comparison followed by a conditional jump indicates an if statement, and a jump through a table indexed by a variable is a typical switch pattern. A load of one byte using movzx suggests a char or bool, while a load of eight bytes suggests a long, double or pointer.
The skill also covers function prologues and epilogues, and the System V AMD64 calling convention used on Linux and macOS, where the first integer arguments are passed in RDI, RSI, RDX, RCX, R8 and R9.
; Accessing struct fields
mov rdi, [struct_ptr]
mov eax, [rdi] ; s->a (offset 0)
movzx eax, byte [rdi+4] ; s->b (offset 4)
mov rax, [rdi+8] ; s->c (offset 8)What you need before you start
The skill does not include a disassembler or decompiler. You need Ghidra or IDA Pro (or Binary Ninja) to open the binary, and you need the binary file itself, which you supply. The example scripts assume the APIs of these tools, so they will only run inside them.
- Ghidra, IDA Pro or Binary Ninja installed
- The binary file you want to analyze
- An AI agent that can load skills
Safety notes: scripts and network access
This skill runs no scripts and uses no network access. Its example scripts are for you to copy into Ghidra or IDA Pro and run there, if you choose.
The skill gives no safety procedures for handling malware. If you analyze untrusted or suspicious samples, do so in an isolated environment. The agent may reason about dangerous samples, so treat its suggestions with the same care you would give any unverified analysis.
- No scripts are run by the skill itself
- No network use
- Use an isolated environment for untrusted binaries
Tips for better results
The skill's own workflow starts with initial triage, then string analysis, function identification, control flow mapping, data structure recovery, algorithm identification and documentation. Following that order gives the agent clearer context.
Keep in mind the common pitfalls the skill lists: optimized code may not match the source structure, functions may be inlined, tail calls appear as jmp instead of call and ret, and position-independent code uses RIP-relative addressing.
- Work through the triage, strings, functions, control flow and data steps in order
- Share the compiler-optimized listing exactly as it appears
- Expect inlining and tail calls to obscure the original source structure
What people use it for
- Recognizing a switch statement from a jump table in a disassembly listing
- Deciding whether a memory access is a struct field or an array element
- Suggesting clearer names and types for a decompiled function in Ghidra
- Learning to read x86-64 assembly as a student using compiler output
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the binary-analysis-patterns skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Do I need Ghidra or IDA Pro to use this skill?
Yes. The skill does not open binaries itself, so you need Ghidra, IDA Pro or Binary Ninja to load the executable. The example scripts assume those tools' APIs.
Is the binary-analysis-patterns skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence. This page does not state pricing for the wider Claude product, so check your own plan for any costs.
Does the skill automatically decompile or disassemble files?
No. It is documentation and example snippets. It does not run any program, and it runs no scripts on its own. You still need a disassembler or decompiler.
Is it safe to use with malware?
The skill gives no safety procedures for malware. Analyze untrusted samples only in an isolated environment, because the agent may reason about dangerous samples.
How is this different from a general AI chat for reverse engineering?
This skill is a focused reference of compiled-code patterns and Ghidra and IDA Pro snippets that the agent can use when the task matches. It does not replace the disassembler, and it does not analyze files for you.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are a security researcher, student or developer who already works with Ghidra, IDA Pro or Binary Ninja and wants help recognizing common constructs in assembly and decompiler output. Skip it if you want a tool that disassembles or decompiles files automatically, or if you need guidance for handling untrusted malware.
Download the skill