NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · IllegalArgumentException

The --name, --arch, --compiler options are not valid when --

Error message

The --name, --arch, --compiler options are not valid when --md5 option is specified.

What it means

Thrown by fillinSingleExeSpecifier() when --md5 is provided together with any of --name, --arch, or --compiler. BSim identifies an executable by EITHER an MD5 hash (--md5) OR a name+arch+compiler triple. Mixing the two identification schemes is contradictory and rejected. This affects listfuncs, delete, and dumpsigs which all call fillinSingleExeSpecifier.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Features/BSim/src/main/java/ghidra/features/bsim/query/ingest/BSimLaunchable.java:724

	private boolean isAllNull(String... strings) {
		for (String s : strings) {
			if (s != null) {
				return false;
			}
		}
		return true;
	}

	private void fillinSingleExeSpecifier(ExeSpecifier spec) throws IllegalArgumentException {

		String md5Option = optionValueMap.get(MD5_OPTION);
		String nameOption = optionValueMap.get(NAME_OPTION);
		String archOption = optionValueMap.get(ARCH_OPTION);
		String compOption = optionValueMap.get(COMPILER_OPTION);

		if (md5Option != null) {
			if (!isAllNull(nameOption, archOption, compOption)) {
				throw new IllegalArgumentException(
					"The " + NAME_OPTION + ", " + ARCH_OPTION + ", " + COMPILER_OPTION +
						" options are not valid when " + MD5_OPTION + " option is specified.");
			}
			spec.exemd5 = md5Option;
		}
		else if (nameOption != null) {
			spec.exename = nameOption;
			spec.arch = archOption;
			spec.execompname = compOption;
		}
		else {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException(
				"Must specify either " + MD5_OPTION + " or " + NAME_OPTION + " option");
		}
	}

	private void doListFunctions(List<String> params) throws IOException, LSHException {

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Remove --name, --arch, and --compiler if you are identifying the exe by --md5.
2. Or remove --md5 if you are identifying by name (with optional arch/compiler).
3. Decide on one identification scheme: md5-only OR name-with-arch-compiler.

Example fix

// before
bsim listfuncs postgresql://myhost/BsimDB --md5 abc123 --name myexe
// after (md5 lookup)
bsim listfuncs postgresql://myhost/BsimDB --md5 abc123
// after (name lookup)
bsim listfuncs postgresql://myhost/BsimDB --name myexe --arch x86:LE:64:default

// Exe identification: md5 XOR (name + optional arch/compiler)
String md5 = optionValueMap.get("--md5");
String name = optionValueMap.get("--name");
String arch = optionValueMap.get("--arch");
String comp = optionValueMap.get("--compiler");
if (md5 != null && (name != null || arch != null || comp != null)) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("--md5 cannot be combined with --name/--arch/--compiler");
}

// Sealed exe-identifier type (Java 16+)
sealed interface ExeId permits Md5Id, NameId {}
record Md5Id(String md5) implements ExeId {}
record NameId(String name, String arch, String compiler) implements ExeId {}
// Build via a factory that enforces mutual exclusivity at the type level

When it happens

Trigger: Running listfuncs/delete/dumpsigs with both --md5 <hash> and at least one of --name, --arch, --compiler. isAllNull(nameOption, archOption, compOption) returns false at line 723.

Common situations: Supplying a full set of identifiers 'just in case'; migrating a script from name-based to md5-based lookup and leaving the old flags; copy-pasting a command template.

Related errors

• Invalid option use with --config option: --commit
• Invalid option use: --overwrite
• Unknown command: {}
• Unsupported command: {}
• Unsupported option use: {}

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/61dcbfcecc44f80f. Report an issue: GitHub.