Installation methods
RAPTOR offers two installation approaches:- Manual installation - Install on your own system
- Devcontainer - Pre-configured Docker environment with all tools
Manual installation
Install Claude Code
Download Claude Code from https://claude.ai/downloadThis is the recommended interface for interactive security research.
Install Python dependencies
- requests (Apache 2.0)
- anthropic (MIT)
- tabulate (MIT)
- Additional packages listed in
requirements.txt
Devcontainer installation
A devcontainer with all prerequisites pre-installed is available for easy onboarding.Open in VS Code
Use the command Dev Container: Open Folder in Container in VS Code or any of its forks (Cursor, Windsurf, etc.)
The devcontainer is massive (~6GB), starting with Microsoft Python 3.12 devcontainer and adding static analysis, fuzzing, and browser automation tools.
Devcontainer contents
Pre-installed security tools:- Semgrep (static analysis)
- CodeQL CLI v2.15.5 (semantic code analysis)
- AFL++ (fuzzing)
- rr debugger (deterministic record-replay debugging)
- gcc, g++, clang-format, make, cmake, autotools
- gdb, gdb-multiarch, binutils
- Playwright browser automation (Chromium, Firefox, Webkit browsers)
- All Playwright browsers pre-downloaded
- Runs with
--privilegedflag (required for rr debugger) - PYTHONPATH configured for
/workspaces/raptorimports - OSS forensics requires
GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALSfor BigQuery
Dependencies
Required tools
Semgrep (Static analysis scanner)
Semgrep (Static analysis scanner)
Install:License: LGPL 2.1Source: https://github.com/semgrep/semgrepUsage: RAPTOR calls
semgrep command-line toolUser installs separately, not bundled with RAPTOR
Python packages (from requirements.txt)
Python packages (from requirements.txt)
Install:Includes:
- requests (Apache 2.0)
- anthropic (MIT)
- tabulate (MIT)
- Additional packages for LLM integration, analysis, and reporting
Managed by pip, not bundled with RAPTOR
Optional tools
Install these tools when you need specific capabilities:AFL++ (Binary fuzzer)
AFL++ (Binary fuzzer)
Install:License: Apache 2.0Source: https://github.com/AFLplusplus/AFLplusplusUsage: RAPTOR calls
afl-fuzz command when using /fuzzRequired for binary fuzzing workflows
CodeQL (Static analysis engine)
CodeQL (Static analysis engine)
Install: Download from https://github.com/github/codeql-cli-binariesLicense: GitHub CodeQL Terms (free for security research, no commercial use)Source: https://github.com/github/codeqlUsage: RAPTOR calls
codeql command for deep analysisOllama (Local model server)
Ollama (Local model server)
Install locally: Download from https://ollama.aiConfigure remote:Default:
http://localhost:11434License: MITSource: https://github.com/ollama/ollamaUsage: RAPTOR connects to Ollama server for local model inferenceSupports both local and remote Ollama servers. Remote servers automatically use longer retry delays (5 seconds vs 2 seconds for local) to account for network latency.
rr (Record-replay debugger)
rr (Record-replay debugger)
Install:Or build from https://github.com/rr-debugger/rrLicense: MITSource: https://github.com/rr-debugger/rrUsage: RAPTOR uses for deterministic debugging in
/crash-analysis commandgcov (Code coverage tool)
gcov (Code coverage tool)
Install: Bundled with gcc (no separate install needed)License: GPL (part of GCC)Source: https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Gcov.htmlUsage: RAPTOR uses for code coverage analysis in
/crash-analysis commandAutomatically available with gcc installation
AddressSanitizer (Memory error detector)
AddressSanitizer (Memory error detector)
Install: Built into gcc >= 4.8 and clang >= 3.1Compile flag:
-fsanitize=addressLicense: Apache 2.0Source: https://github.com/google/sanitizersUsage: RAPTOR detects ASAN builds for enhanced crash diagnosticsCompile-time instrumentation, enabled via compiler flag
Google Cloud BigQuery (for OSS forensics)
Google Cloud BigQuery (for OSS forensics)
Setup: Requires License: Google Cloud Terms of ServiceSource: https://cloud.google.com/bigqueryUsage: RAPTOR uses for GitHub Archive queries in
GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS environment variable/oss-forensics commandFeatures: Query immutable GitHub event data for forensic investigationsOptional - required only for
/oss-forensics commandSystem tools (pre-installed)
These tools are typically pre-installed on most systems:LLDB (Debugger)
LLDB (Debugger)
Pre-installed: macOS (Xcode Command Line Tools)License: Apache 2.0 (part of LLVM)Usage: RAPTOR uses for crash analysis on macOS
Part of operating system, not bundled
GDB (Debugger)
GDB (Debugger)
Pre-installed: Most Linux distributionsLicense: GPL v3Usage: RAPTOR uses for crash analysis on LinuxInstall on macOS (if needed):
Part of operating system on Linux, not bundled
Standard Unix tools
Standard Unix tools
Tools: nm, addr2line, objdump, file, strings (GNU Binutils)Pre-installed: macOS and most Linux distributionsLicense: GPL v3Usage: RAPTOR uses for binary analysis
Part of operating system, not bundled
Environment variables
LLM configuration
BigQuery (for OSS forensics)
Only required for
/oss-forensics commandLLM provider performance
Experimental benchmark for exploit generation:| Provider | Exploit Quality | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic Claude | ✓ Compilable C code | ~$0.03/vuln |
| OpenAI GPT-4 | ✓ Compilable C code | ~$0.03/vuln |
| Gemini 2.5 | ✓ Compilable C code | ~$0.03/vuln |
| Ollama (local) | ✗ Often broken | FREE |
Note: Exploit generation requires frontier models (Claude, GPT, or Gemini). Local models work for analysis but may produce non-compilable exploit code.
Performance tuning
Remote Ollama servers automatically use longer retry delays to account for network latency:| Server Type | Base Delay | Retry 1 | Retry 2 | Retry 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local | 2.0s | 2s | 4s | 8s |
| Remote | 5.0s | 5s | 10s | 20s |
License compliance
RAPTOR’s license
License: MIT Copyright: Gadi Evron, Daniel Cuthbert, Thomas Dullien (Halvar Flake), and Michael Bargury See: LICENSE file for full textExternal tool licenses
RAPTOR does not bundle external tools. Users install them separately according to each tool’s license terms. Summary:- Semgrep (LGPL 2.1) - User installs
- AFL++ (Apache 2.0) - User installs
- CodeQL (GitHub Terms) - User installs
- Python packages (various open source) - User installs via pip
- System tools (GPL v3, Apache 2.0) - Pre-installed on OS
RAPTOR’s MIT license applies only to RAPTOR’s code, not to external tools users install.
Troubleshooting
Common issues
RAPTOR automatically installs tools
RAPTOR automatically installs tools
Solution: Use the devcontainer to get all tools bundled, or review
DEPENDENCIES.md before running RAPTOR to understand what will be installed.CodeQL not found
CodeQL not found
Solution: Download CodeQL CLI from https://github.com/github/codeql-cli-binaries and add to PATH.
AFL++ not available
AFL++ not available
Solution: Install AFL++:
Ollama connection errors
Ollama connection errors
Solution: Verify Ollama is running:For remote servers, ensure
OLLAMA_HOST is set correctly with protocol and port.LLM API key errors
LLM API key errors
Solution: Ensure environment variables are set:
rr debugger not working
rr debugger not working
Solution: rr is Linux-only (x86_64). On macOS, RAPTOR falls back to LLDB. Ensure you’re running on a supported platform:
BigQuery authentication errors
BigQuery authentication errors
Solution: Set up Google Cloud credentials:
Python import errors
Python import errors
Solution: Ensure PYTHONPATH is set correctly:
Getting help
- Issues: https://github.com/gadievron/raptor/issues
- Repository: https://github.com/gadievron/raptor
- Documentation: See
docs/directory in repository - Community: Chat on the #raptor channel at the Prompt||GTFO Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/promptgtfo/shared_invite/zt-3kbaqgq2p-O8MAvwU1SPc10KjwJ8MN2w
Next steps
Quick start
Get up and running with your first scan
Architecture
Learn about RAPTOR’s technical architecture
Commands
Explore available commands and capabilities
LLM Configuration
Configure LiteLLM and cost management