February 16, 2026
Spies, scripts & spicy takes
Ghidra by NSA
NSA's free code-cracker sparks praise, side-eye, and 'is that link safe' vibes
TLDR: Ghidra, the NSA’s free tool for inspecting software, keeps improving with Python and Rust support. Commenters celebrate the features, speculate about a secret internal version, and urge sticking to the official GitHub amid sketchy links and known security advisories—because powerful tools attract both fans and phishers.
Ghidra, the National Security Agency’s free “peek inside any program” toolkit, just rolled in with fresh polish—and the comments instantly turned into a reality show. Fans are hyped: one user cheers that the latest releases make Python scripting feel smooth and friendly, while another says Rust support is “pleasantly” way better now. The vibe: powerful, free, and shockingly usable for a tool built by, well, spies. You can grab it from the official GitHub, and yes, there’s a big bold warning about known security issues—so read the advisories.
But it wouldn’t be the internet without side-eye. A top comment wonders if the NSA keeps a secret, supercharged internal version, comparing it to AI labs that “lobotomize” public models. Cue the conspiracy popcorn. Meanwhile, someone drops a rival recommendation—Cutter by Rizin—like they just shouted a different team’s name at a home game. And then there’s the mini-panic: a user asks if “ghidralite dot com” is safe after a sketchy-looking link popped in a FAQ. The crowd rallies around: stick to official sources, don’t get phished, and if you’re installing, follow the guide and don’t mix versions. The meme energy? “NSA Santa vs Secret Sauce”—is this a generous gift to the community, or a peek behind the curtain with strings attached?
Key Points
- •Ghidra is an NSA-developed software reverse engineering framework supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- •It offers disassembly, assembly, decompilation, graphing, scripting, and extensibility via Java and Python.
- •Ghidra supports NSA’s cybersecurity mission and is used to analyze malicious code and assess vulnerabilities.
- •Certain versions have known security vulnerabilities; users are advised to review Security Advisories.
- •Installation and build instructions are provided, including JDK 21, Gradle, Python 3, and platform-specific toolchains; extensions can be developed via GhidraDev for Eclipse or using VS Code.