NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · warning · LSHException

Executable category already exists

Error message

Executable category already exists

What it means

fdbInstallCategory iterates info.execats; if query.type_name already equals an installed category it throws LSHException("Executable category already exists") without modifying the database.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Features/BSim/src/main/java/ghidra/features/bsim/query/elastic/ElasticDatabase.java:2936

		if (!CategoryRecord.enforceTypeCharacters(query.type_name)) {
			throw new LSHException("Bad characters in proposed category type");
		}
		if (query.isdatecolumn) {
			info.dateColumnName = query.type_name;
			StringBuilder buffer = new StringBuilder();
			buffer.append("{ \"type\": \"keyvalue\", \"value\": \"")
					.append(info.dateColumnName)
					.append("\" }");
			connection.executeStatementNoResponse(ElasticConnection.PUT, "configuration/datecolumn",
				buffer.toString());
			response.info = info;
			return;
		}
		// Check for existing category
		if (info.execats != null) {
			for (String cat : info.execats) {
				if (cat.equals(query.type_name)) {
					throw new LSHException("Executable category already exists");
				}
			}
		}
		if (info.execats == null) {
			info.execats = new ArrayList<>();
		}
		info.execats.add(query.type_name);
		writeExecutableCategories();
		response.info = info;
	}

	/**
	 * Entry point for the Elasticsearch version of InstallTagRequest command:
	 *   Install a new function tag to be managed by this data
	 * @param query is command parameters
	 * @throws LSHException if the command is misconfigured
	 * @throws ElasticException for communication problems with the server
	 */

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Check existing categories before installing (or treat the 'already exists' outcome as success).
2. Choose a different, unique category name.
3. Drop then reinstall if a rename is required.

Example fix

// before
installCategory(db, name); // throws on re-run
// after
if (!db.getInfo().execats.contains(name)) {
    installCategory(db, name);
}

List<String> existing = db.getInfo().execats != null ? db.getInfo().execats : List.of();
if (existing.contains(name)) return; // idempotent skip

boolean alreadyInstalled = db.getInfo().execats != null && db.getInfo().execats.contains(name);

try { db.installCategory(req); }
catch (LSHException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().equals("Executable category already exists")) return;
    throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling InstallCategory for a category name that is already registered in the database.

Common situations: Re-running a setup/install script; an idempotent installer that does not check existence first.

Related errors

• Bad category tag
• Bad characters in proposed category type
• Function tag already exists
• Bad characters in requested category type
• Executable

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4ab4b3c7edf1a8d9. Report an issue: GitHub.