NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · InvalidParameterException

Executable

Error message

Executable 

What it means

CompareExecutablesScript queries the BSim database for an executable by name; if exeResult.recordCount is 0 it throws InvalidParameterException indicating the named executable is not present. This is a user-input validation error: the executable name provided via askString does not match any record in the target BSim database.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Features/BSim/ghidra_scripts/CompareExecutablesScript.java:70

	private ExecutableComparison exeCompare;

	@Override
	protected void run() throws Exception {
		String urlString = askString("Enter BSim database URL", "URL: ");
		String execName =
			askString("Enter name of executable to compare against database", "Name: ");
		URL url = BSimClientFactory.deriveBSimURL(urlString);
		try (FunctionDatabase database = BSimClientFactory.buildClient(url, true)) {
			QueryExeInfo exeInfo = new QueryExeInfo();
			exeInfo.filterExeName = execName;
			ResponseExe exeResult = exeInfo.execute(database);
			if (exeResult == null) {
				String message = database.getLastError() != null ? database.getLastError().message
						: "Unrecoverable error";
				throw new IOException(message);
			}
			else if (exeResult.recordCount == 0) {
				throw new InvalidParameterException(
					"Executable " + execName + " is not present in database");
			}
			else if (exeResult.recordCount > 1) {
				println("Multiple executables with the name - " + execName);
				ExecutableRecord exeRecord = exeResult.records.get(0);
				print("Using ");
				println(exeRecord.printRaw());
			}
			String baseMd5 = exeResult.records.get(0).getMd5();

			ScoreCaching cache = null;		// If null, self scores will not be cached

			// Scores can be cached in the local file system by using FileScoreCaching
			// cache = new FileScoreCaching("/tmp/test_scorecacher.txt");

			// Scores can be cached in a dedicated table within the database by using TableScoreCaching
			// TableScoreCaching is currently only supported for the PostgreSQL back-end.
			// cache = new TableScoreCaching(database);

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Verify the executable name spelling and case against the BSim database contents (query exe info without a filter to list available executables).
2. Confirm the correct BSim server URL was provided — the executable may exist in a different repository.
3. Run GenerateSignatures/ingestion for the target executable first to populate the database.
4. Check whether the database stores full paths vs. basenames and adjust the queried name accordingly.

// Before throwing, query available executables to validate the name
QueryExeInfo check = new QueryExeInfo();
check.filterExeName = null; // list all
ResponseExe all = check.execute(database);
boolean exists = all.records.stream()
    .anyMatch(r -> r.getName().equals(execName));
if (!exists) {
    // prompt user to pick from available names
}

try {
    // run comparison
} catch (InvalidParameterException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().contains("is not present in database")) {
        // re-prompt user with a list of available executables
    } else {
        throw e;
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running CompareExecutablesScript, providing an execName (via askString) and a database URL; QueryExeInfo.execute(database) returns a ResponseExe with recordCount == 0. The name filter matched no executable records.

Common situations: Typo in the executable name; the executable was never ingested into this BSim database; the wrong BSim server/database URL was specified; the executable was ingested under a different name (full path vs. basename mismatch); case sensitivity in the name filter.

Related errors

• Expecting privilege option (admin or user)
• host required
• Non-empty dbName required
• Invalid {} dbName: {}
• Remote file URL not supported: {}

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d457e8a517a14df6. Report an issue: GitHub.