NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · warning · IOException

Bad address format

Error message

Bad address format: {}

What it means

IOException('Bad address format: ' + key) thrown by IsfDataTypeWriter.requestAddress when parsing the key string into an Address fails. It uses the program's min address (getMinAddress().getAddress(key)) and catches AddressFormatException, re-throwing as IOException. A separate earlier branch logs and returns silently if the parsed address is null.

Solutions

1. Format the address key consistently with the program's default address space (e.g. hex with correct prefix, or segment:offset for segmented spaces).
2. Validate/parse with AddressFactory or a known AddressSpace before calling requestAddress.
3. Catch IOException around requestAddress and report the offending key to the operator.

Example fix

// before
writer.requestAddress(userInput); // userInput may be "1234" for a hex space

// after
Address addr;
try {
    addr = program.getAddressFactory().getDefaultAddressSpace().getAddress(userInput);
} catch (AddressFormatException e) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Not a valid address: " + userInput, e);
}
writer.requestAddress(addr.toString());

Address a;
try {
    a = program.getAddressFactory().getDefaultAddressSpace().getAddress(key);
} catch (AddressFormatException e) {
    // reject the key before calling requestAddress
    return;
}

try {
    writer.requestAddress(key);
} catch (IOException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().contains("Bad address format")) {
        // prompt for a valid address for this program's space
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: requestAddress(key) is called with a string that the program's address space cannot parse, e.g. wrong radix, missing segment prefix for segmented spaces, or a format inconsistent with the program's default address space.

Common situations: Passing a decimal or unprefixed string to a space expecting hex; segmented (x86 real-mode) address given as a flat value; symbol/address copied with extra characters or wrong case for the space.

Related errors

• Null datatype passed to getIsfObject
• Address string should have at most one colon (:)
• EC_BAD_REQUEST
• Encountered too many errors with this trace
• Encountered too many errors with this trace

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c8d1ba88f133449f. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at Ghidra/Debug/Debugger-isf/src/main/java/ghidra/program/model/data/ISF/IsfDataTypeWriter.java:578

			Msg.error(this, "TypeDef error: " + e);
		}
		clearResolve(typedefName, baseType);

		return null;
	}

	public void requestAddress(String key) throws IOException {
		if (dtm instanceof ProgramDataTypeManager pgmDtm) {
			try {
				Address address = pgmDtm.getProgram().getMinAddress().getAddress(key);
				if (address == null) {
					Msg.error(this, address + " not found");
					return;
				}
				requestedAddresses.add(address);
			}
			catch (AddressFormatException e) {
				throw new IOException("Bad address format: " + key);
			}
		}
	}

	public void requestSymbol(String symbol) {
		if (symbol == null) {
			Msg.error(this, symbol + " not found");
			return;
		}
		requestedSymbols.add(symbol);
	}

	public JsonWriter getWriter() {
		return writer;
	}

	@Override
	public String toString() {

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