Software debugging tools

Another info gather post, this time about misc. debugging and reverse engineering software tools (debuggers, tracers, call loggers, network sniffers etc.) Just a messy (and unfinished) list for now (may be updated later…)

Software debugging tools

U-xs (GNU/Linux, *BSD, …):

• gdb, ddd
• pstack
• strace, ktrace, ltrace, ftrace, latrace, mutextrace, xtrace, etrace
• LTT (Linux Trace Toolkit) / LTTng: trace, traceview
• truss, sotruss
• gprof (call graph profile data)
• valgrind
• dtrace
• systemtap
• dprobes, kprobes
• perf-tools (kprobe, io/open/execsnoop, functrace, …)
• ptrace, python-ptrace
• cheat engine (for games but not only…)
• debugfs
• kdump
• gcore (dumping process mem / core)
• DynamoRio
• Flawfinder
• cppcheck
• ld / ldd
  • LD_PRELOAD
  • LD_BIND_NOW (and -Wl, -znow) - resolve functions on load (not on the 1st call/lazy way)
  • ldd and LD_DEBUG

Windows:

• sysinternals tools: filemon, process explorer, …
• SoftICE (DOS, Win31, 95, .. , XP)
• OllyDbg
• x64dbg

Java:

• FindBugs
• Jlint

Network monitoring

• tcpdump
• wireshark

Disassemblers, hex editors, analysers

• IDA (Interactive disassembler) (and IDA Pro - commercial…)
• Biew / Beye (u-x), Hiew (DOS / Windows)
• ht

Decompilers

• Boomerang
• hex-rays
• Reverse engineering compiler

Other bin utils

• objdump
• nm
• elfedit
• strip
• c++filt

On-line tools

• Compiler explorer

Links

• Disassemblers, decompilers x64 (Wiki)
• Wikipedia, Category: Debugging
• Sysinternals

Related talks:

• The Journey of a source line: how your code is translated into a controlled flow of electrons
• The bits between the bits: How we get to main()
  • C/C++ startup code, linking, symbol resolution, debugging