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Audit score 45

rev-u3d-dump

p4nda0s/reverse-skills

Extract C# method names and addresses from Unity IL2CPP iOS/Android builds for IDA/Ghidra reverse engineering.

What is rev-u3d-dump?

Recovers the mapping between native function addresses and original C# class/method names from Unity IL2CPP binaries and global-metadata.dat files. Use this when analyzing compiled Unity games or apps to restore symbolic information stripped during IL2CPP compilation.

  • Extracts method names, addresses, and type definitions from IL2CPP binaries (Mach-O/ELF)
  • Parses global-metadata.dat to recover C# symbol information
  • Generates IDA Python and Ghidra import scripts for automated function renaming
  • Produces dump.cs with RVA/VA addresses and il2cpp.h with C struct definitions
  • Supports metadata versions 24–39 (Unity 2021 through Unity 6)

How to install rev-u3d-dump

npx skills add https://github.com/p4nda0s/reverse-skills --skill rev-u3d-dump
Prerequisites
  • IL2CPP binary file (libil2cpp.so for Android or UnityFramework for iOS)
  • global-metadata.dat file from the same build
  • IDA Pro or Ghidra for importing the generated scripts
  • .NET 6+ runtime (for running Il2CppDumper)
  • For iOS: ability to extract IPA or access the compiled framework
Claude Code
Cursor
Windsurf
Cline

How to use rev-u3d-dump

  1. 1.Extract the IL2CPP binary and global-metadata.dat from your iOS IPA or Android APK
  2. 2.Verify the metadata version using xxd (first 8 bytes contain magic + version)
  3. 3.Clone the appropriate Il2CppDumper fork (roytu/Il2CppDumper v39 for Unity 6, original for earlier versions)
  4. 4.Build Il2CppDumper with dotnet build and run it with the binary and metadata paths
  5. 5.Verify output files (script.json, dump.cs, il2cpp.h) were generated successfully
  6. 6.In IDA: place script.json and ida_py3.py in the same directory, then run File → Script file to auto-rename functions
  7. 7.In Ghidra: use the ghidra.py script from Il2CppDumper output directory to import symbols

Use cases

Good for
  • Reverse engineering a Unity mobile game to identify gameplay logic functions
  • Analyzing a Unity app binary to find security-sensitive methods like authentication or encryption routines
  • Extracting type definitions and field offsets for memory inspection with Frida
  • Recovering class hierarchies and method signatures from a compiled iOS/Android build
  • Preparing a stripped IL2CPP binary for detailed static analysis in IDA or Ghidra
Who it's for
  • Reverse engineers analyzing Unity-based iOS or Android applications
  • Security researchers performing binary analysis on compiled Unity games
  • Mobile app penetration testers needing symbolic information from IL2CPP builds
  • Game modders seeking to understand compiled Unity game structure

rev-u3d-dump FAQ

Which Il2CppDumper version should I use?

Use roytu/Il2CppDumper v39 fork for Unity 6 (metadata v39). Use the original Perfare/Il2CppDumper for Unity 2021 and earlier (metadata ≤29). Check your metadata version with xxd to determine which tool to use.

How do I find the IL2CPP binary and metadata in my app?

For iOS IPA: unzip the IPA and find UnityFramework binary in Payload/<AppName>.app/Frameworks/UnityFramework.framework/ and metadata at Payload/<AppName>.app/Data/Managed/Metadata/global-metadata.dat. For Android APK: unzip the APK and find libil2cpp.so in lib/{arch}/ and metadata at assets/bin/Data/Managed/Metadata/global-metadata.dat.

What does the script.json output contain?

script.json contains an array of ScriptMethod objects with Address (decimal), Name (ClassName$$MethodName), Signature, and TypeSignature. These are imported by IDA/Ghidra scripts to automatically rename functions in the binary.

Why does Il2CppDumper exit with code 134 or 137?

Exit 134 (SIGKILL) on macOS usually means the binary is unsigned; ad-hoc sign it with codesign -s -. Exit 134 in non-interactive mode is normal and can be ignored if the output files were created successfully.

Can I use this on obfuscated or encrypted IL2CPP binaries?

This tool works on the metadata file, which is typically not encrypted. However, if the binary itself is encrypted or the metadata is corrupted, extraction will fail or produce incomplete results. The tool cannot decrypt encrypted binaries.

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from p4nda0s/reverse-skills.


name: rev-u3d-dump description: Dump Unity IL2CPP symbols from iOS/Android builds. Extract method names, addresses, and type info from IL2CPP binaries and global-metadata.dat, then generate IDA/Ghidra import scripts.

rev-u3d-dump - Unity IL2CPP Symbol Dumper

Extract C# method names, addresses, and type definitions from Unity IL2CPP builds for IDA/Ghidra analysis.


Overview

Unity IL2CPP compiles C# to native code. The original class/method names are stripped from the binary but preserved in global-metadata.dat. This skill recovers the mapping between native function addresses and their original C# names.

Key Files in Unity Build

FileLocationPurpose
Native binaryiOS: Frameworks/UnityFramework.framework/UnityFramework<br>Android: lib/{arch}/libil2cpp.soCompiled C# code (Mach-O / ELF)
MetadataData/Managed/Metadata/global-metadata.datAll type/method/string info

Tool Selection

Il2CppDumper (recommended for metadata v39+)

Use the v39 fork for Unity 6+ builds:

  • Repo: https://github.com/roytu/Il2CppDumper (branch: v39)
  • Supports metadata v24–v39
  • Outputs script.json with function addresses — ready for IDA/Ghidra import

The original Il2CppDumper (https://github.com/Perfare/Il2CppDumper) only supports up to v29.

Cpp2IL (alternative)

  • Repo: https://github.com/SamboyCoding/Cpp2IL
  • Supports metadata v39, but dummy DLLs lack [Address] attributes
  • Useful for C# source reconstruction, not ideal for IDA import

Step-by-Step Workflow

Step 1: Locate IL2CPP Files

iOS (IPA):

# Unzip IPA
unzip -o app.ipa -d .

# Binary
BINARY="Payload/<AppName>.app/Frameworks/UnityFramework.framework/UnityFramework"

# Metadata
METADATA="Payload/<AppName>.app/Data/Managed/Metadata/global-metadata.dat"

Android (APK):

# Unzip APK
unzip -o app.apk -d .

# Binary (pick target arch)
BINARY="lib/arm64-v8a/libil2cpp.so"

# Metadata
METADATA="assets/bin/Data/Managed/Metadata/global-metadata.dat"

Step 2: Check Metadata Version

# First 8 bytes: magic (4) + version (4), little-endian
xxd -l 8 "$METADATA"
# Expected: af1b b1fa 2700 0000  → magic OK, version = 0x27 = 39
VersionUnityTool
≤ 29Unity 2021 and earlierOriginal Il2CppDumper
31Unity 2022Original Il2CppDumper (partial)
39Unity 6 (6000.x)roytu/Il2CppDumper v39 fork

Step 3: Build & Run Il2CppDumper (v39 fork)

# Clone v39 fork
git clone -b v39 https://github.com/roytu/Il2CppDumper.git

# Build
cd Il2CppDumper
DOTNET_ROLL_FORWARD=LatestMajor dotnet build -c Release

# Run (use net8.0 framework)
DOTNET_ROLL_FORWARD=LatestMajor dotnet run \
  --project Il2CppDumper/Il2CppDumper.csproj \
  -c Release --framework net8.0 \
  -- "$BINARY" "$METADATA" output_dir

Notes:

  • DOTNET_ROLL_FORWARD=LatestMajor allows running on .NET 9/10 even though the project targets .NET 6/8
  • Exit code 134 is normal in non-interactive mode (caused by Console.ReadKey() at the end)
  • On macOS, if the binary gets SIGKILL'd, ad-hoc sign it: codesign -s - <binary>

Step 4: Verify Output

Successful run produces these files in the output directory:

FileSize (typical)Purpose
script.json50–100 MBFunction addresses + names + signatures (IDA/Ghidra import)
dump.cs10–30 MBC# class dump with RVA/VA addresses
il2cpp.h50–100 MBC struct definitions for type import
ida_py3.py~2 KBIDA Python import script

Check script.json format:

{
  "ScriptMethod": [
    {
      "Address": 40865744,
      "Name": "ClassName$$MethodName",
      "Signature": "ReturnType ClassName__MethodName (args...);",
      "TypeSignature": "viii"
    }
  ]
}

Check dump.cs format:

// RVA: 0x1A2B3C4 Offset: 0x1A2B3C4 VA: 0x1A2B3C4
public void MethodName() { }

Step 5: Import into IDA

  1. Open the native binary in IDA (UnityFramework / libil2cpp.so)
  2. Place script.json and ida_py3.py in the same directory
  3. File → Script file... → select ida_py3.py
  4. The script reads script.json and renames all functions automatically
  5. Optional: File → Load file → Parse C header file... → select il2cpp.h for struct types

Step 5 (alt): Import into Ghidra

  1. Open the binary in Ghidra
  2. Use the ghidra.py or ghidra_with_struct.py script from Il2CppDumper
  3. Window → Script Manager → Run with script.json in the same directory

Troubleshooting

ErrorCauseFix
not a supported version[39]Using original Il2CppDumperSwitch to roytu/Il2CppDumper v39 fork
Exit code 137 (SIGKILL)macOS unsigned binarycodesign -s - <binary>
Cannot read keys (exit 134)Non-interactive consoleIgnore — dump completed successfully
DOTNET_ROLL_FORWARD error.NET version mismatchSet DOTNET_ROLL_FORWARD=LatestMajor
Empty outputWrong binary/metadata pairVerify both files are from the same build

Output Usage Tips

  • dump.cs is the quickest reference — search for class/method names with RVA addresses
  • script.json Address values are decimal — convert to hex for IDA: hex(40865744) → 0x26F8FD0
  • Field offsets in dump.cs (e.g., // 0x20) are relative to object base, useful for memory inspection with Frida