Setting up Ghidra (for MHW)

This guide explains how to set up Ghidra for Monster Hunter World.

Prerequisites

1. JDK 17

To run Ghidra you will need to have at least the JDK 17 (or newer) installed. You can download it from here or here. Download and install the JDK for your operating system.

2. Fexty's Ghidra Dump

Unless you prefer to start analyzing the binary from scratch, I recommend downloading Fexty's Ghidra Dump. From that folder, download the MonsterHunterWorld_Fexty_20230517_ghidra10.3.gzf file (or a newer one if one is available).

Installation

1. Download Ghidra

Go to the Ghidra Releases page and get the latest release. (10.3 at the time of writing this).

2. Extract Ghidra

Extract the downloaded zip file to a folder of your choice. For example C:\Users\YourUserName\ghidra_10.3_PUBLIC.

3. Run Ghidra

Run the ghidraRun.bat file in the extracted folder. This will open a command prompt window and Ghidra will start.

Once it is open it should look something like this:

Note 1: If it asks you for a JDK path, point it to the JDK you installed in the prerequisites step.

Note 2: Starting in Ghidra 10.3, you can change ghidras theme with Edit -> Theme -> Switch.

4. Create a new project

Click on File -> New Project. In the project dialog, select "Non-Shared Project" and click "Next". Select a folder to store your ghidra projects in (note, ghidra MHW projects can get quite large, a couple GBs, so make sure you have enough space). Then give your project a name and click "Finish".

5. Import the Fexty Ghidra Dump

If you downloaded the dump from the prerequisites, you can now drag the .gzf file into the project window. This will import the dump into your project. (Alternatively go to File -> Import File and select the .gzf file).

Click Ok on any dialogs that pop up.

6. You're good to go

Now you can open the imported binary in the CodeBrowser.