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scanmacho(1)

scanmacho - user-space utility to scan Mach-O files

SCANMACHO(1) Documentation for pax-utils SCANMACHO(1)

scanmacho - user-space utility to scan Mach-O files


.HP 240u


scanmacho
[options]
Mach-Os or directories


.PP scanmacho is a user-space utility to quickly scan given Mach-Os, directories, or common system paths for different information. This may include Mach-O types, their install_names, etc...


.PP Because Mach-O files can be "fat", it is possible for a single file to return multiple lines. Each line represents a single architecture, contained in the fat (universal) file. While there are no real restrictions, in practice, the entries can be distinguished by their arch type, e.g. ppc, ppc64, i386, x86_64, arm, ...


.PP -A, --archives


Scan archives (.a files)


.RE
.PP -a, --all


Print all useful/simple info


.RE
.PP -B, --nobanner


Don't display the header


.RE
.PP -b, --bind


Print flags from mach_header


.RE
.PP -D, --endian


Print Mach-O endianness


.RE
.PP -E, --etype filetype


Print only Mach-O files matching specified etype (like MH_EXECUTABLE, MH_DYLIB, etc...)


.RE
.PP -F, --format FORMAT


Use specified format for output; see the FORMAT section for more information.


.RE
.PP -f, --from FILE


Read input stream from specified filename


.RE
.PP -g, --gmatch


Use strncmp to match libraries (use with -N). Or regexp with symbol matching


.RE
.PP -h, --help


Show condensed usage and exit


.RE
.PP -i, --interp


Print the interpreter information (LC_LOAD_DYLINKER)


.RE


.PP -M, --bits BITS


Print only Mach-O files matching specified numeric bits (like 32/64)


.RE
.PP -m, --mount


Don't recursively cross mount points


.RE
.PP -N, --lib INSTALLNAME


Find Mach-Os that need the specified INSTALL_NAME


.RE
.PP -n, --needed


Print libraries the Mach-O is linked against (LC_LOAD_DYLIB).


.RE
.PP -O, --perms PERMS


Print only Mach-O files with matching specified octal bits (like 755).


.RE
.PP -o, --file FILE


Write output stream to specified filename.


.RE
.PP -p, --path


Scan all directories in PATH environment.


.RE
.PP -q, --quiet


Only output 'bad' things.


.RE
.PP -R, --recursive


Scan directories recursively


.RE
.PP -r, --rpath


Print RPATH encoded in the Mach-O (LC_RPATH)


.RE
.PP -S, --soname


Print the Mach-O's shared library name (install_name).


.RE
.PP -V, --version


Print version and exit


.RE
.PP -v, --verbose


Be verbose (can be used more than once)


.RE
.PP -y, --symlink


Don't scan symlinks


.RE
.PP -Z, --size SIZE


Print Mach-O file size


.RE


.PP The format string is much like a printf string in that it is a literal string with flags requesting different information. For example, you could use a format string and expect the following results.



  # scanmacho -BF "file %f needs %n; funky time" /bin/bash


  file bash needs /usr/lib/libncurses.5.4.dylib,/usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib; funky time


.PP Note that when you use a format string, generally information related flags should be omitted. In other words, you do not want to try and request NEEDED output (-n) and try to specify a format output at the same time as these operations are mutually exclusive. Each information related flag has an equivalent conversion specifier, so use those instead. You can of course continue to use non-information related flags (such as --verbose).


.PP There are three characters that introduce conversion specifiers.


.PP

•% - replace with info

•# - silent boolean match

•+ - verbose match


.PP And there are a number of conversion specifiers. We try to match up the specifier with corresponding option.


.PP

•a - arch type

•b - mach_header flags

•D - endian

•F - long filename

•f - short filename

•i - dyld

•M - CPU_TYPE class

•N - specified needed

•n - needed libraries

•p - filename (minus search)

•o - mh_type

•O - perms

•r - rpaths

•S - install_name

MACH-O FILETYPES


.PP You can narrow your search by specifying the Mach-O object file type. The commandline option takes the symbolic type name. Multiple values can be passed comma separated. Example -E MH_EXECUTE,MH_DYLIB


.PP Here is the normal list available for your pleasure.


.PP

•MH_OBJECT - intermediate object file (.o)

•MH_EXECUTE - standard executable program

•MH_BUNDLE - dlopen plugin (.bundle)

•MH_DYLIB - dynamic shared library (.dylib)

•MH_PRELOAD - executable not loaded by Mac OS X kernel (ROM)

•MH_CORE - program crash core file

•MH_DYLINKER - dynamic linker shared library (dyld)

•MH_DYLIB_STUB - shared library stub for static only, no sections

•MH_DSYM - debug symbols file (in .dSYM dir)

MACH-O BITS


.PP You can also narrow your search by specifying the Mach-O bitsize. Specify the numeric value.


.PP

•32 - 32bit mach_header

•64 - 64bit mach_header_64


.PP https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Hardened/PaX_Utilities


.PP Please include as much information as possible (using any available debugging options) and send bug reports to the maintainers (see the AUTHORS section). Please use the Gentoo bugzilla at https://bugs.gentoo.org/ if possible.


.PP chpax(1), dumpelf(1), paxctl(1), pspax(1), readelf(1), scanelf(1), elf(5)

Ned Ludd <solar@gentoo.org>

Maintainer

Mike Frysinger <vapier@gentoo.org>

Maintainer

Fabian Groffen <grobian@gentoo.org>

Mach-O Maintainer

1.
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Hardened/PaX_Utilities
2.
https://bugs.gentoo.org/
09/30/2026 pax-utils 1.3.11

pax-utils 1.3.11-r3 · os · ingested 2026-10-01