Hopper Disassembler

Hopper Disassembler is a powerful binary analysis tool built specifically for macOS and iOS reverse engineering. Developed with a focus on Apple platforms, it has become a favorite among iOS security researchers and macOS developers who need deep insight into compiled applications. The tool provides a polished, Mac-native experience that feels at home in the Apple ecosystem.

Unlike cross-platform tools that support many architectures, Hopper specializes in the formats and conventions used by Apple: Mach-O binaries, Objective-C runtime structures, and Swift metadata. This specialization translates to faster analysis, better automatic recognition of Apple framework calls, and a workflow optimized for iOS app security testing.

What is Hopper Disassembler?

Hopper is a disassembler, decompiler, and debugger for macOS that handles x86, x86_64, and ARM binaries. The tool excels at transforming compiled iOS apps and macOS executables into readable assembly and pseudocode, enabling security researchers to understand implementation details without source code access.

The disassembler recognizes Objective-C classes, methods, and protocols automatically, reconstructing the object-oriented structure of the original code. For Swift binaries, it parses metadata to recover type information and function signatures. This automatic recognition significantly accelerates the analysis process compared to generic disassemblers.

Hopper’s decompiler generates pseudocode that closely resembles the original C, Objective-C, or Swift code. The output quality is excellent for understanding control flow, identifying vulnerabilities, and locating security-relevant code sections like authentication routines or encryption implementations.

Key features

iOS App Analysis

For iOS security testing, Hopper is invaluable. Load an IPA’s Mach-O executable to examine authentication logic, find hardcoded secrets, analyze jailbreak detection routines, or understand custom encryption implementations. The tool automatically identifies common iOS frameworks and system calls, providing context about what the code is doing.

Combined with runtime tools like Frida or Objection, you can validate your static analysis findings dynamically. Identify interesting methods in Hopper, then hook them at runtime to observe behavior and test bypasses.

Control Flow Visualization

Hopper generates graphical control flow graphs that visualize function logic as interconnected basic blocks. This makes complex functions with many branches easier to understand than linear assembly listings. You can navigate the graph interactively, following execution paths and understanding conditional logic.

The call graph view shows relationships between functions, helping you trace how data flows through the application and identify which functions are security-critical.

Debugging Integration

Hopper includes debugging capabilities that let you step through code execution while viewing your static analysis annotations. This unified static and dynamic approach accelerates understanding, especially when dealing with obfuscated or unfamiliar code patterns.

Python Scripting and Automation

The Python API enables automation of repetitive tasks. Write scripts to find specific code patterns, extract strings or constants, rename functions based on their behavior, or export custom reports. This programmability extends Hopper’s utility for large-scale analysis projects.

Modern Capabilities

Recent versions include AI-enhanced analysis through an integrated MCP server, providing intelligent assistance for understanding complex binaries. The tool supports all modern Mac hardware including Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3) processors and traditional Intel Macs.

When to use Hopper

Strengths:

• Best-in-class Mach-O and iOS binary analysis
• Polished, intuitive macOS-native interface
• Excellent Objective-C and Swift metadata parsing
• Fast performance and responsive UI
• Strong automatic analysis of Apple frameworks
• Regular updates with new iOS version support
• Free trial available to evaluate before purchase
• Lower resource usage than heavyweight alternatives

Limitations:

• Commercial license required (not free like Ghidra)
• macOS and Linux only (no Windows version)
• Focused on Apple platforms; less comprehensive for other architectures
• Smaller plugin ecosystem compared to IDA Pro or Ghidra
• Limited collaborative features
• Requires macOS 12.4 or higher

Getting started

Combine Hopper with Ghidra for cross-platform analysis, Frida for runtime instrumentation, and mitmproxy for network traffic inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions