How reverse-skill Integrates with IDA Pro for Binary Analysis

reverse-skill provides a dedicated ida-reverse skill that wraps IDA Pro's MCP server behind PowerShell automation scripts and a 72-function Python-style library, enabling fully automated binary analysis without direct GUI interaction.

The open-source reverse-skill framework bridges commercial IDA Pro capabilities into automated reverse engineering workflows. According to the zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill source code, the ida-reverse skill operates through a three-stage pipeline that handles server lifecycle, binary ingestion, and rich analysis operations—all callable through standardized MCP tools.

Three-Stage Integration Workflow

Stage 1: Bootstrap and Launch the MCP Server

Before any analysis begins, reverse-skill ensures the IDA Pro MCP HTTP service is running. The scripts/start.ps1 script performs aggressive cleanup of stale processes to prevent database file locks, then launches idalib-mcp on 127.0.0.1:13337.

Key operations in skills/ida-reverse/scripts/start.ps1:

# Kill orphaned workers that lock .id0/.id1/.nam files

taskkill /F /T /IM idalib-mcp.exe 2>$null

# Launch new server instance (port auto-increments if occupied)

Start-Process -FilePath "$env:IDADIR\idalib-mcp.exe" `
    -ArgumentList "--http","--host","127.0.0.1","--port","13337" `
    -WindowStyle Hidden

The bootstrap system also checks ../tool-index.md for IDA presence and auto-installs the MCP plugin via scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh when missing.

Stage 2: Open Target Binaries via HTTP Wrapper

The scripts/open.ps1 script bypasses MCP schema validation bugs present in some AI-client adapters by invoking idalib_open through raw HTTP rather than native MCP calls.

This script in skills/ida-reverse/scripts/open.ps1 handles:

• System32 file auto-copying to temporary folders for protected binaries
• Stale database cleanup (.id*, .id0, .id1, .nam files)
• Long-running auto-analysis with configurable timeouts
• Progress polling emitting INFO:opening:… every 10 seconds

powershell -File "skills/ida-reverse/scripts/open.ps1" `
    -Path "C:\samples\suspected_malware.exe" `
    -TimeoutSeconds 600

Return values follow a strict protocol: OK:<file_path>:<session_id> on success, or ERR:open_timeout_<X>s if auto-analysis exceeds the deadline.

Stage 3: Execute the 72-Function Analysis Toolbox

Once a session is established, reverse-skill exposes IDA Pro capabilities through idapro_* function calls defined in skills/ida-reverse/SKILL.md. The library spans ten operational categories:

Category	Example Functions
Survey	idapro_survey_binary, idapro_entity_query
Decompilation	idapro_decompile, idapro_pseudocode
Cross-reference	idapro_xrefs_to, idapro_xrefs_from
Search	idapro_find_bytes, idapro_find_string
Memory access	idapro_read_bytes, idapro_write_bytes
Patching	idapro_patch_bytes, idapro_apply_patches
Type system	idapro_set_type, idapro_export_funcs
Stack frames	idapro_get_frame, idapro_set_frame_size
Signatures	idapro_apply_sig, idapro_flirt_match
Debugger	idapro_start_debugger, idapro_set_bp

Routing Integration and Evidence-First Policy

The ida-reverse skill is registered in skills/routing.md with this entry:

Binary Pattern	Skill Route
exe/dll/so/elf	ida-reverse/ — IDA Pro decompile

This enables automatic skill selection when the central router detects binary analysis requests.

All operations enforce reverse-skill's hard-gate evidence policy: imports must be identified via idapro_survey_binary(detail_level="minimal") or idapro_entity_query(kind="imports") and stored as E-imports before deeper analysis proceeds.

Complete Workflow Example

# 1. Configure environment

$env:IDADIR = "C:\Program Files\IDA Pro 8.4"
pip install git+https://github.com/mrexodia/ida-pro-mcp.git
ida-pro-mcp --install  # Streamable HTTP + Global mode

# 2. Start MCP server (background, hidden)

powershell -File "skills/ida-reverse/scripts/start.ps1"

# 3. Open binary with 10-minute timeout

powershell -File "skills/ida-reverse/scripts/open.ps1" `
    -Path "C:\analysis\sample.dll" -TimeoutSeconds 600

# 4. Mandatory evidence collection

idapro_survey_binary(detail_level="minimal")
idapro_entity_query(kind="imports")  # Stored as E-imports

# 5. Decompile entry point

idapro_decompile(addr="DllEntryPoint")

# 6. Trace data flow from suspicious string

idapro_xrefs_to(addrs="\"C:\\Windows\\Temp\\evil.dat\"")

# 7. Patch and export findings

idapro_set_comments(items=@{
    addr="0x180002A40";
    comment="C2 beacon initialization - flagged IOC-2024-001"
})
idapro_export_funcs(addrs="*"; format="c_header") > sample.h

# 8. Cleanup

idapro_idalib_close(session_id=$sessionId)

Critical Implementation Files

Path	Purpose
skills/ida-reverse/SKILL.md	Complete tool definitions and workflow documentation
skills/ida-reverse/scripts/start.ps1	MCP server lifecycle management
skills/ida-reverse/scripts/open.ps1	Binary ingestion with timeout handling
skills/routing.md	Central router configuration
skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh	Automated tool installation

Summary

• reverse-skill integrates IDA Pro through the ida-reverse skill using PowerShell automation and a 72-function MCP toolbox
• Three-stage pipeline: server bootstrap (start.ps1), binary ingestion (open.ps1), analysis execution (idapro_* functions)
• HTTP wrapper bypasses MCP schema validation issues in AI client adapters
• Automatic cleanup prevents database lock conflicts from orphaned idalib-mcp processes
• Evidence-first enforcement requires import identification before deep analysis
• Router integration enables automatic skill selection for binary file types

Frequently Asked Questions

Does reverse-skill ship with IDA Pro binaries?

No. According to the source code in skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh, the skill requires IDADIR to point to an existing IDA Pro installation. The framework only installs the open-source MCP plugin (ida-pro-mcp) and provides automation wrappers around the commercial software.

Why does the open.ps1 script use raw HTTP instead of native MCP calls?

The skills/ida-reverse/scripts/open.ps1 implementation sidesteps schema-validation bugs present in some AI-client MCP adapters. Direct idalib_open calls through standard MCP could fail validation; the HTTP wrapper ensures reliable binary ingestion while maintaining the same functional interface.

What happens if IDA's auto-analysis exceeds the timeout?

The open.ps1 script emits INFO:opening:… progress lines every 10 seconds and terminates with ERR:open_timeout_Xs if the deadline passes. The session is not established, allowing callers to retry with longer timeouts or investigate stuck analysis.

How does reverse-skill route binary analysis requests to IDA?

The skills/routing.md file maps file extensions (exe, dll, so, elf) to the ida-reverse/ skill prefix. When the central router detects these patterns, it automatically invokes IDA Pro capabilities rather than other reverse engineering tools listed in skills/reverse-engineering/tools.md.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}