Detect-It-Easy
Identifies what kind of file you have and whether it is packed, protected or obfuscated.
- Stars
- 11.8k
- Forks
- 991
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- JavaScript
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- Dev tool
What it is
Detect It Easy (DiE) is a cross-platform tool for file identification and static inspection, meaning it examines a file without running it. It reads executable formats and uses signature databases and heuristic checks to report what a file is, such as its compiler, packer or protector. Malware analysts, security experts and reverse engineers use it to understand unknown binaries.
- Check whether a Windows PE file is packed or uses a known protector
- Scan a suspicious .NET assembly for obfuscation or anti-analysis signs
- Identify the compiler or toolchain that produced a binary
- Use the DiE API library to build custom detection in your own tools
Great for
- Malware analysts triaging unknown Windows executables
- Reverse engineers checking whether a binary is packed or protected
- Digital forensics work that needs file type identification
- Developers who want to script checks through the DiE API library
Not ideal for
- People who only need to open or convert ordinary documents, since it targets executable and binary analysis
- Anyone wanting a sandbox to run suspicious files, because the README says the file is never launched
- Beginners with no background in binary formats, since the output assumes some familiarity with executable structure
How to get it
- 1
Download the app
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/horsicq/Detect-It-Easy - 2
Run it
- Download a release or beta from the DIE-engine releases page linked in the README
- Open the program and load a file you want to inspect
- Review the detection results and the heuristic evidence shown for the file
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Enable heuristic scanning to get corroborating or qualifying evidence beyond signature matches
- Use the DiE API library (die_library) to integrate detection into your own scripts or tools
- Read the DiE-JS documentation in the repository to understand or extend analysis modules
- Check the changelog for updates to signature databases and features
Downloads
Strengths
- Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS according to the README
- Combines signature matching with heuristic analysis that shows its evidence
- Free and MIT-licensed, with an active project and a large star count
Trade-offs
- The README focuses on Windows PE analysis for its heuristic engine, so coverage of other formats is less clear from this text
- The README warns that a website named detectiteasy.com is not affiliated, so downloads must come from the listed release links
- No release is listed in the metadata, so installation steps should be checked against the project's release page
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detect-It-Easy (this) | 11.8k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Malware analysts triaging unknown Windows executables |
| pwndbg | 11.1k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Reverse engineers working with Linux ELF binaries under GDB |
| ida-pro-mcp | 13.3k | App | intermediate | 1 months ago | Reverse engineers who already use IDA Pro 8.3 or newer and want an AI assistant to help with analysis |
| infer | 15.7k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers working on Java, C, C++, or Objective-C codebases |
| phpstan | 14.1k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | PHP developers who want to catch bugs earlier than tests alone allow |
| code-review-graph | 32.6k | Dev tool | beginner | 8 days ago | Developers who use an MCP-compatible AI coding assistant on a large repository |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.