Command ida-interact

gef provides a simple XML-RPC client designed to communicate with a server running inside a specific IDA Python plugin, called ida_gef.py (which can be downloaded freely here).

Simply download this script, and run it inside IDA. When the server is running, you will see a text in the Output Window such as:

[+] Creating new thread for XMLRPC server: Thread-1
[+] Starting XMLRPC server: 0.0.0.0:1337
[+] Registered 6 functions.

This indicates that the XML-RPC server is ready and listening.

gef can interact with it via the command ida-interact. This command receives as first argument the name of the function to execute, all the other arguments are the arguments of the remote function.

To enumerate the functions available, simply run

gef➤  ida-interact -h

Now, to execute an RPC, invoke the command ida-interact on the desired method, with its arguments (if required).

For example:

gef➤  ida ida.set_color 0x40061E

will edit the remote IDB and set the background color of the location 0x40061E with the color 0x005500 (default value).

Another convenient example is to add comment inside IDA directly from gef:

gef➤  ida ida.add_comment 0x40060C "<<<--- stack overflow"
[+] Success

Result:

Please use the --help argument to see all the methods available and their syntax.

It is also note-worthy that Binary Ninja support has be added: , by using the script binja_gef.py.