REA
Use REA when a claim depends on a shipped binary or package, decompilation, passive application runtime evidence, controlled replay, or comparison with behavior not established by available source. For ordinary analysis of a complete source repository, use normal repository tools and do not run REA readiness or provider commands.
Route the target first
Choose the first tool from the target the user supplied. Do not call
open_binary unless the target is native or an analysis database.
- ASAR or extracted JavaScript/Electron tree:
analyze_javascript_application. - Archive, application package, ZIP/APK/IPA/MSIX/AppX, or DMG:
open_binarywith the supplied local path; useinspect_artifactwhen its graph and findings help answer the question. - Managed PE/CLI assembly:
inspect_managed_artifact. - User-owned browser page already open:
list_browser_targets. - User-owned Electron runtime already open:
list_electron_targets. - Native executable, library, or analysis database:
open_binary, then use focused analysis tools directly; callbinary_overviewwhen metadata or inventory context is useful.
If the app is missing, ask which app to inspect. Resolve a human-readable app name to one clear installed artifact when possible; ask only when matches are ambiguous. Never choose an example app on the user's behalf.
In a target-free session, use open_binary to bind any archive/package or
native target whose analysis tool operates on the active target. Do not call a
tool hidden from tools/list; inspect binary_session with
detail: "capabilities" for the exact remediation when a desired capability
is unavailable.
Work summary-first
Start with the default result and use its inline Evidence and graph context. Do not repeat an identical tool call. Make a focused follow-up only when the returned result leaves a specific question unanswered.
Every conclusion must distinguish observations, inferences, and unknowns. Cite Evidence IDs, preserve limitations and incomplete coverage, and never imply that static analysis observed execution. Ask for approval only where a tool or policy requires it; approval never broadens a different authority boundary.
Plan broader investigations
For requests that span multiple features or subsystems, use a staged workflow:
- Turn the request into a checklist of questions and the evidence each answer needs. Resolve target identity and constraints from the conversation and workspace before asking for information again.
- Inspect the current REA session, artifact identity, saved analysis database, bookmarks, and prior evidence. Reuse matching state; do not open duplicate sessions or repeat identical analysis.
- Start with the smallest useful overview or inventory. Follow each question from its entry point through relevant data and state changes to its result. Batch related operations around a specific hypothesis, then expand only when the returned evidence leaves a concrete gap.
- Inspect relevant packaged resources and configuration alongside code when they affect the question. Use format-aware inventory and parsers; do not infer behavior from filenames, strings, or layout alone.
- Corroborate a conclusion with the evidence type it requires. Use runtime observation or controlled replay only when static evidence cannot answer the question and the required authority is available.
- Decompose work into independent questions. When parallel workers are available and the questions do not depend on one another, assign distinct scopes, point workers to existing evidence, and ask them to return sources, conclusions, and unresolved gaps. Otherwise, work sequentially.
- Keep a concise finding ledger linking each conclusion to Evidence IDs, confidence/evidence type, search boundary, and remaining unknowns. Update the shared index or investigation report so later passes can reuse results.
Before finishing, revisit the original checklist. Mark each question as answered, partially answered, or unresolved based on its evidence; keep bounded negative searches bounded, and do not describe a broad investigation as complete while required questions remain open.
Read only the relevant guide
- Native binaries, managed assemblies, archives, and extraction: references/native-and-artifacts.md
- ASARs, extracted JavaScript, feature tracing, and version comparison: references/javascript-applications.md
- Passive browser/Electron observation and static/runtime reconciliation: references/runtime-observation.md
- Evidence paging, comparisons, residual unknowns, and verification: references/evidence-workflows.md
- Controlled JavaScript replay: references/controlled-replay.md
Readiness and setup
The readiness rule is conditional: when REA tools are available and their
registration is not known to be stale, proceed directly; do not run doctor
before every task. Run npx -y rea-agents@latest doctor when the MCP server or
required provider is unavailable, registration is reported stale, or the user
asks for an environment diagnosis. Propose
npx -y rea-agents@latest setup only when doctor identifies an alignment or
provider problem. Show the exact plan and obtain approval before setup writes
configuration or installs Hopper. Restart the agent after MCP registration
changes; direct CLI commands remain available immediately.
Finish the task
Explain findings in plain language and tie them to returned evidence. When the
user asks to build something, use normal coding tools and separate observed
behavior from design choices. Close an opened native session with
close_binary when the investigation is complete.
