This repository demonstrates how to use the extensive, but often not self-evident, functionality provided by IDA SDK in order to put together a plugin with Hex-Rays-like capabilities.

Read the accompanying article for more details.

This will build the plugin using the specified IDA SDK (7.3+), and install it into the specified IDA:

mkdir build
cd build
cmake .. -DIDA_SDK_DIR=<path_to_ida_sdk> -DIDA_DIR=<path_to_ida>
make
make install

This is a demonstration plugin which works only with the provided ack.x86.gcc.O0.g.elf binary:

1. Build and install the plugin.
2. Open the ack.x86.gcc.O0.g.elf binary in IDA.
3. Navigate to main() @ 0x8048577 or ack() @ 0x804851C and hit Ctrl+Shift+D to trigger the plugin. The function gets decompiled and you can interact with the result the same way you would in Hex-Rays. Only decompilation of these two functions is implemented.