README

!repository-open-graph
 pwndbg






pwndbg (/paʊnˈdiˌbʌɡ/) is a GDB and LLDB plug-in that makes debugging suck less,
with a focus on features needed by low-level software developers, hardware hackers,
reverse-engineers and exploit developers.

It has a boatload of features, see our Features page
and [CHEATSHEET][CHEATSHEET] (feel free to print it!). If you have any questions you may read the
documentation or asks us in our Discord server.

[CHEATSHEET]: https://pwndbg.re/dev/CHEATSHEET.pdf

Want Pwndbg to keep moving fast, or, have us give a talk about it? Sponsor us!

 Why?

Vanilla GDB and LLDB are terrible to use for reverse engineering and exploit development.
Typing x/30gx $rsp or navigating cumbersome LLDB commands is not fun and often provides
minimal information. The year is 2026, and core debuggers still lack many user-friendly
features such as a robust hexdump command. WinDbg users are completely lost when they
occasionally need to bump into GDB or LLDB.

Pwndbg is a Python module which can be loaded into GDB or run as a REPL interface for LLDB.
It provides a suite of utilities and enhancements that fill the gaps left by these debuggers,
smoothing out rough edges and making them more user-friendly.

 Installation

See installation instructions.

 What about ...?

Many past ([gdbinit][gdbinit], [PEDA][PEDA]) and present projects ([GEF][GEF],
[bata24/GEF][bata24/GEF]) offer great features, but are hard to extend and are packaged
as large single files ([103KB][gdbinit2], [195KB][peda.py], [423KB][gef.py],
[5.24MB][bata24/gef.py]). Pwndbg aims to replace them with a faster, cleaner, and
more robust implementation.

[gdbinit]: https://github.com/gdbinit/Gdbinit
[gdbinit2]: https://github.com/gdbinit/Gdbinit/blob/master/gdbinit
[PEDA]: https://github.com/longld/peda
[peda.py]: https://github.com/longld/peda/blob/master/peda.py
[GEF]: https://github.com/hugsy/gef
[gef.py]: https://github.com/hugsy/gef/blob/main/gef.py
[bata24/GEF]: https://github.com/bata24/gef
[bata24/gef.py]: https://github.com/bata24/gef/blob/dev/gef.py

 When to Use GDB or LLDB?

Pwndbg supports both GDB and LLDB, and each debugger has its own strengths.
Here's a quick guide to help you decide which one to use:

| Use Case                                        | Supported Debugger   |
|-------------------------------------------------|----------------------|
| Debugging Linux binaries or ELF files           | GDB, LLDB    |
| Debugging Mach-O binaries on macOS              | LLDB             |
| Linux kernel debugging (qemu-system)            | GDB, LLDB    |
| Linux user-space emulation (qemu-user)          | GDB              |
| Embedded debugging (ARM Cortex M or RISC-V/32) | GDB, LLDB    |

Pwndbg ensures a consistent experience across both, so switching between them is seamless.
 The LLDB implementation in pwndbg is still in early-stage and may contain bugs or limitations.
 Known issues are tracked in [GitHub Issues][lldb_tracker].

 If you encounter any problems, f