This tool started out as a solution of sorts to the question we once had: how to tell if binaries produced by different builds (either clean full builds or rebuilds) were created with the same source files and are effectively equivalent as far as functionality goes. Microsoft compilers don't produce byte for byte compatible code, but the differences can often be ignored. Below is the list of superficial differences this tool can ignore.
- PE timestamp and checksum
- Digital signature directory entry
- Export table timestamp
- Debugger section timestamp
- PDB signature, age and file path
- Resources timestamp
- All file/product versions in VS_VERSION_INFO resource
- Digital signature section
- FILE, DATE and TIME macros when they are used as literal strings (can be wide or narrow char)
Known differences not currently ignored:
- MIDL vanity stub for embedded type libraries (contains a timestamp string).
- Occasionally, compiler would change certain offsets or PE section sizes (fill them with more or less zeroes essentially) and would generate consistent offsets in the code section (.text).
See also: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1180852/deterministic-builds-under-windows
Comparing binaries in such a way has limited usefulness outside of a few special cases, but it is left here for completeness.
Other functionality includes editing VS_VERSION_INFO structure, exporting resources and PE sections, signing/timestamping and stripping signatures, unattended signing using Extended Validation certificates located on SafeNet USB tokens and checking load-time dependencies. See Usage for more info.
This code is made available under a permissive MIT license. Please refer to the LICENSE file for details.
Visual Studio 2015
NuGet package manager dependencies: boost boost_filesystem-vc140 boost_program_options-vc140 boost_system-vc140
Open peparser.sln and build.
Please use GitHub issue tracker. Search for an existing bug or create a new one and add reproduction steps and a description of what goes wrong. Or fix it and create a pull request.
Applies to most other modes.
--help This message.
--silent Suppress standard output.
--verbose Print dynamically ignored ranges and other info.
--input arg Input files.
--output arg Output file path, if omitted uses standard out.
Works on files provided as input (can handle multiple files).
--info Print full file information. Returns 0 if all files are
valid PE binaries.
--pdb Print pdb path and guid. Returns 0 if all files have
debug information.
--imports Print a list of imported dlls.
--signature Check if binary has a digital signature section (does
not validate signature). Returns 0 if all files have a
DS section.
--version-info Print version.
--dump-section arg Dump contents of a named PE section. Takes a single
input file.
--dump-resource arg Extract a resource by path. See contents of .rsrc
section in output of --info for available entries.
--compare Compare 2 files disregarding linker timestamp, debug
info, digital signature, version info section in
resources, __FILE__, __DATE__ and __TIME__ macros when
they are used as literal strings.
Turn off 'link time code generation' option when
building binaries to compare and keep full build path
length stable between builds. If done right, rebuilds
with the same source will be flagged as 'functionally
equivalent'.
Returns 0 if files are functionally equivalent.
--r arg List of ranges to ignore when comparing:
{comment1:offset1:size1,comment2:offset2:size2,...}.
--r1 arg List of ranges to ignore when comparing (first binary).
--r2 arg List of ranges to ignore when comparing (second
binary).
--fast Use faster comparison. Only static diffs are ignored,
no difference percentage.
--identical Return 0 only if files are byte-for-byte identical.
--no-heuristics Do not try to interpret differences at unknown offsets.
--delete-resource arg Delete resource by path.
--delete-signature Delete signature.
--edit-vsversion Modify VS_VERSIONINFO. Binary must already contain
VS_VERSIONINFO resource.
--set-version arg Set new version (both file and product), file is
modified in-place.
--set-file-version arg Set new file version.
--set-product-version arg Set new product version.
--set-file-description arg Set file description field.
--set-internal-name arg Set internal name field.
--set-copyright arg Set copyright field.
--set-original-name arg Set original name field.
--set-product-name arg Set product name field.
--no-resource-rebuild Avoid rebuilding resources, only works with
set-version, set-file-version and
set-product-version and only if there is enough
space in string table to fit new version string.
--sign Sign file.
--cert-store arg Certificate store. Default value is 'MY'.
--cert-hash arg Certificate thumbprint (copy from Details/Thumbprint).
--timestamp arg URL to a timestamp server. Repeat for multiple URLs (to
be tried if previous URL failed). For example
http://timestamp.verisign.com/scripts/timstamp.dll
--etoken-password arg SafeNet etoken password. Set to avoid GUI password
prompt if chosen certificate is on a token.
--check-dependencies Checks dependencies of a PE binary and everything it
links to. Use --verbose for full dependency tree,
otherwise prints binaries with missing dependencies
only. Returns 2 if a dependency is missing, 1 on any
other error and 0 on success. Architecture of this
executable (x86/x64) must match architectures of
checked binaries.
--json Output in json.
--batch-dlls Check dependency on all non executables in folders.
Executables can't be batched and must be checked one by
one in order to set up default activation context. The
tool loads dlls in the process, so use matching
architecture.
--reports-dir directory to dump dependency reports to, creates
missing.txt, report.txt (when --verbose is specified),
and report.json (when --json is specified).
--pe-extensions arg A semi-colon separated list of file extension to check
when batching dlls. For example 'dll;cpl;sys'. Omit to
test all files except executables.
--use-system-path Load system PATH instead of using PATH from current
environment.
peparser.exe --info peparser.exe
peparser.exe:
Arch : 32 bit
Size : 3327.5 Kb
Version :
PDB : D:\source\internal-peparser\build\Win32\Debug\peparser.pdb
PDB GUID: {ECD36A2A-342A-435A-AA3C-F0B0EBCD4622}
Signed : false
Ignored offsets:
offset: 118 size: 4 PE timestamp
offset: 168 size: 4 PE checksum
offset: 1a8 size: 8 Digital signature directory entry
offset: 2f2d84 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2f2da0 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2fa3e8 size: 53 PDB section
offset: 2fa3ec size: 10 PDB 7.00 guid
offset: 2fa3fc size: 4 PDB 7.00 age
offset: 2fa400 size: 3a PDB 7.00 file path
Imports:
KERNEL32.dll
ADVAPI32.dll
ole32.dll
CRYPT32.dll
imagehlp.dll
Delayed imports:
File layout:
offset: 0 size: 33fe00 Whole file
offset: 0 size: 110 DOS Stub
offset: 0 size: 0 Section: .textbss
offset: 110 size: f4 PE header
offset: 118 size: 4 PE timestamp
offset: 168 size: 4 PE checksum
offset: 1a8 size: 8 Digital signature directory entry
offset: 208 size: 190 Sections directory
offset: 400 size: 2b0400 Section: .text
offset: 2b0800 size: 6f200 Section: .rdata
offset: 2f2d84 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2f2da0 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2fa3e8 size: 53 PDB section
offset: 2fa3ec size: 10 PDB 7.00 guid
offset: 2fa3fc size: 4 PDB 7.00 age
offset: 2fa400 size: 3a PDB 7.00 file path
offset: 31fa00 size: 6600 Section: .data
offset: 326000 size: 1600 Section: .idata
offset: 327600 size: c00 Section: .gfids
offset: 328200 size: 400 Section: .tls
offset: 328600 size: 200 Section: .00cfg
offset: 328800 size: 600 Section: .rsrc
offset: 328970 size: 17d Resource: 24/1/1033
offset: 328e00 size: 17000 Section: .reloc
peparser.exe --check-dependencies peparser.exe --verbose
Legend for plain text output:
[!]-- dependency resolution failed[D]-- this is a delay-load dependency[M]-- loaded manifest for that binary, if binary has an SxS manifest and it is not marked as loaded its dependencies will likely be incorrectname -> path-- dependency name in perent's import table -> full path on the file system
[ ][ ][ ] peparser.exe
[ ][ ][ ] KERNEL32.dll -> C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\KERNEL32.DLL
[ ][ ][ ] api-ms-win-core-rtlsupport-l1-2-0.dll -> C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
[ ][ ][ ] ntdll.dll -> C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
[ ][ ][ ] KERNELBASE.dll -> C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\KERNELBASE.dll
[ ][ ][ ] ntdll.dll -> C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
[ ][D][ ] ext-ms-win-advapi32-registry-l1-1-0.dll -> C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ADVAPI32.dll
[remaining 450Kb of text are skipped]
peparser.exe --check-dependencies peparser.exe --verbose --json > dependencies.json
Outputs JSON object with the following structure:
{
"type": "singlefile"
, "resolved": Boolean
, "id": binary path as specified on cmd line
, "binaries" :
[
{
"id": full resolved binary path
, "resolved": Boolean
, "manifest": Boolean, true if binary has a SxS manifest and it was loaded successfully
, "imports":
[
{
"delayed": Boolean, true if import is delay loaded
"name": import name as specified in parent's import table
"id": full resolved binary path if found, same as name otherwise. Resolved import will have its own entry in "binaries" collection
}, ...
]
}, ...
]
}
When batch-dlls option is used, directory is searched for non-executable PE binaries and the root object has type "cachedump" with all checked dlls and their dependencies listed in "binaries" collection.
peparser.exe --sign --cert-hash "<actual thumbprint of the certificate here>" --timestamp "http://timestamp.verisign.com/scripts/timstamp.dll" --timestamp "http://timestamp.comodoca.com/authenticode"
Cert-hash takes certificate thumbprint, currently in the exact format you can see in Windows certificate manager. For example "01 32 45 67 78 90 ab cd ef 01 32 45 67 78 90 ab cd ef 01 32". Timestamps can be specified multiple times and next server will be tried if the previous one fails.
peparser.exe --compare "peparser - Copy.exe" peparser.exe --verbose
Output consists of general info for both files and an equivalency conclusion. In case differences are found they will be listed in the file tree below. Vildly different files will take a long time to process on verbose level and will print a lot of output.
In this example older copy of peparser.exe was compared a new version of itself ater a clean build.
peparser - Copy.exe:
Arch : 32 bit
Size : 3327.5 Kb
Version :
PDB : D:\source\internal-peparser\build\Win32\Debug\peparser.pdb
PDB GUID: {ECD36A2A-342A-435A-AA3C-F0B0EBCD4622}
Signed : false
Ignored offsets:
offset: 118 size: 4 PE timestamp
offset: 168 size: 4 PE checksum
offset: 1a8 size: 8 Digital signature directory entry
offset: 2f2d84 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2f2da0 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2fa3e8 size: 53 PDB section
offset: 2fa3ec size: 10 PDB 7.00 guid
offset: 2fa3fc size: 4 PDB 7.00 age
offset: 2fa400 size: 3a PDB 7.00 file path
Imports:
KERNEL32.dll
ADVAPI32.dll
ole32.dll
CRYPT32.dll
imagehlp.dll
Delayed imports:
peparser.exe:
Arch : 32 bit
Size : 3327.5 Kb
Version :
PDB : D:\source\internal-peparser\build\Win32\Debug\peparser.pdb
PDB GUID: {2C524743-9D20-42D6-97A5-0D3463844DCF}
Signed : false
Ignored offsets:
offset: 118 size: 4 PE timestamp
offset: 168 size: 4 PE checksum
offset: 1a8 size: 8 Digital signature directory entry
offset: 2f2d84 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2f2da0 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2fa3e8 size: 53 PDB section
offset: 2fa3ec size: 10 PDB 7.00 guid
offset: 2fa3fc size: 4 PDB 7.00 age
offset: 2fa400 size: 3a PDB 7.00 file path
Imports:
KERNEL32.dll
ADVAPI32.dll
ole32.dll
CRYPT32.dll
imagehlp.dll
Delayed imports:
Functionally equivalent.
Difference: 0.00% (0 bytes)
offset: 0 size: 33fe00 File 1
offset: 0 size: 110 DOS Stub
offset: 0 size: 0 Section: .textbss
offset: 110 size: f4 PE header
offset: 118 size: 4 PE timestamp
offset: 168 size: 4 PE checksum
offset: 1a8 size: 8 Digital signature directory entry
offset: 208 size: 190 Sections directory
offset: 400 size: 2b0400 Section: .text
offset: 2b0800 size: 6f200 Section: .rdata
offset: 2f2d84 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2f2da0 size: 4 Debugger timestamp
offset: 2fa3e8 size: 53 PDB section
offset: 2fa3ec size: 10 PDB 7.00 guid
offset: 2fa3fc size: 4 PDB 7.00 age
offset: 2fa400 size: 3a PDB 7.00 file path
offset: 31fa00 size: 6600 Section: .data
offset: 326000 size: 1600 Section: .idata
offset: 327600 size: c00 Section: .gfids
offset: 328200 size: 400 Section: .tls
offset: 328600 size: 200 Section: .00cfg
offset: 328800 size: 600 Section: .rsrc
offset: 328970 size: 17d Resource: 24/1/1033
offset: 328e00 size: 17000 Section: .reloc
To extract executable manifest:
peparser.exe --dump-resource 24/1 peparser.exe > manifest.xml
To dump whole resource section:
peparser.exe --dump-section .rsrc peparser.exe > rsrc.dat
Use --info command (or any PE editor) to see available resource paths and sections.
peparser.exe --edit-vsversion --set-file-version 1.2.3.4 --set-product-version 1.2.3.5 --set-product-name "PE Parser" "peparser - Copy.exe"