# fkie-cad/cwe_checker

cwe_checker finds vulnerable patterns in binary executables

Repository: https://github.com/fkie-cad/cwe_checker
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/cwe_checker
Homepage: https://docs.cwe-checker.io
Language: Rust
License: LGPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: cwe, binary-analysis, static-analyzer, vulnerability-scanner, reverse-engineering, program-analysis, security-scanner, security, cwe-checker, ghidra
Last push: 2026-08-20T09:29:19+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 67/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2886, "days_push": 13, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1352, forks 141 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:28.472250+00:00)

## What it is
cwe_checker is a Rust-based suite of checks that detects common bug classes (CWEs) such as null pointer dereferences and buffer overflows in binary executables. It uses Ghidra to disassemble binaries into a common intermediate representation, enabling analysis of ELF binaries across many CPU architectures, making it especially useful for firmware analysis.

## Use cases
- find vulnerable patterns in compiled binaries
- scan firmware ELF binaries for CWEs
- detect buffer overflows in executables without source code
- analyze ARM or MIPS binaries for security weaknesses
- integrate binary vulnerability checks into firmware analysis pipelines
- annotate analysis results in Ghidra for reverse engineering

## When to choose
- you need to audit binaries without access to source code
- you analyze firmware or cross-compiled ELF binaries for multiple CPU architectures
- you want automated CWE detection integrated into tools like FACT
- you prefer a Docker-based setup that is easy to deploy

## When to avoid
- you need dynamic analysis or runtime exploit verification rather than static checks
- you analyze Windows PE or macOS Mach-O binaries, since the focus is ELF
- you need source-code-level static analysis instead of binary analysis
- you require guaranteed low false positives, as results range from heuristics to abstract interpretation

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: vulnerability-scanning, static-site-generator, reverse-engineering, security, parser, developer-tools
- domain: security, reverse-engineering, developer-tools, embedded-systems
- platform: cli, cross-platform
- tags: cwe, binary-analysis, ghidra, firmware-analysis, elf-binaries, static-analysis, abstract-interpretation, plugin-architecture, linux, docker

## Member repositories
- fkie-cad/cwe_checker (main) score 67

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:28.472250+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:42:08.891438+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/fkie-cad/cwe_checker (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:28.472250+00:00, sha c8b80dcff9a5)
  - homepage: https://docs.cwe-checker.io (fetched 2026-08-29T12:00:37.851421+00:00, sha 44136fa355b3)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.