strings-xrefs command

use it for

Run kickoff first. Add --index-data-xrefs when the project does not yet contain the data references you need.

Run glaurung strings-xrefs --help on your installed version before putting the command in a script. Glaurung is still pre-1.0.

input: A project created by kickoff and its original binary.
output: Strings joined to recovered data-read sites and enclosing functions.
mode: read only. The examples leave the input unchanged.

command shape

syntax

short form

$ glaurung strings-xrefs PROJECT --binary PATH [--used-only]

The installed parser is authoritative: glaurung strings-xrefs --help

before the examples

project setup

The examples use the checked-in hello-c-clang-debug fixture and a project named hello.glaurung.

$ glaurung kickoff samples/binaries/platforms/linux/amd64/export/native/clang/debug/hello-c-clang-debug --db hello.glaurung

run it

examples

Show strings that code reads

Use the indexed project to move from text to the instruction that touches it.

run

from the engine checkout

$ glaurung strings-xrefs hello.glaurung --binary samples/binaries/platforms/linux/amd64/export/native/clang/debug/hello-c-clang-debug --used-only --limit 20

output

captured result captured 2026-08-31 after indexing data xrefs

offset  enc    len  uses  text  →  used_at
---------------------------------------------------------------
8196    ascii   20     1  Hello, World from C!  →  main@0x1166
8218    ascii   25     1  Total argument length: %d  →  print_sum@0x11de
8245    ascii   31     1  Static function called %d times  →  static_function@0x1219

captured 2026-08-31 after indexing data xrefs.

Read the result: If every uses count is zero, rerun with --index-data-xrefs. That step writes recovered data references into the project.

Build a JSON strings window

JSON keeps each text value, address, and use site separate for a UI or notebook.

run

from the engine checkout

$ glaurung strings-xrefs hello.glaurung --binary samples/binaries/platforms/linux/amd64/export/native/clang/debug/hello-c-clang-debug --index-data-xrefs --json

output

captured result captured fixture output; selected used strings

[
  {
    "offset":8196,
    "encoding":"ascii",
    "text":"Hello, World from C!",
    "uses":1,
    "used_at":[{"src_va":4454,"src_function_va":4432,"src_function":"main"}]
  },
  {
    "offset":8218,
    "text":"Total argument length: %d",
    "uses":1,
    "used_at":[{"src_va":4574,"src_function":"print_sum"}]
  }
]

captured fixture output; selected used strings.

Read the result: The JSON preserves both file offsets and source VAs. Do not substitute one address space for the other in a script.

used above

important options

--used-only: Hide strings with no indexed references.
--min-len N: Set the minimum decoded string length.
--index-data-xrefs: Recover and save data references before printing.
--limit N: Cap the result rows.

These are the flags used by the examples. Run glaurung strings-xrefs --help for the complete parser help.

before you rely on it

checks

Indexing data references can take longer on large binaries.

keep working

related commands

← all 40 commands