macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install bgreplocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 8301
Install bgrep with Homebrew
Like grep but for binary strings. Version 0.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-10.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Like grep but for binary strings
Project links
Commands and aliases
- bgrep
history
Project history and usage
bgrep is a tiny binary-pattern search utility: grep-like in spirit, but aimed at byte sequences in binary files rather than text lines.
Project history
The README gives the origin story plainly: the author was annoyed that grep could not look for binary strings and wrote a tool for that job. The GitHub repository was created in 2010, has a small tag history, and remains a compact C utility rather than a broad search framework.
Adoption history
The input metadata records Homebrew packaging for bgrep. Its adoption is correspondingly modest and toolbelt-oriented: useful enough to package, but intentionally small.
How it is used
bgrep searches for a hex byte pattern, can recurse through directories, can print before/after context bytes, can read a pattern from a file, and can apply a mask file for wildcard bytes. When no path is given, it reads standard input.
Why package nerds care
The package is significant in the classic Unix sense: one C file, one executable, one missing behavior from grep filled without pulling in a larger forensic suite. It is handy for firmware, image, dump, and protocol-payload spelunking.
Timeline
- 2010: Initial GitHub commit.
- 2011: bgrep-0.2 tag appears.
- 2026: bgrep-0.3 tag updates README usage around context flags.
Related projects
- The obvious related tool is grep(1), which the README names as the motivation. It also overlaps with hex editors, hexdump/xxd workflows, and binary-analysis command-line tools.
Sources
- https://api.github.com/repos/tmbinc/bgrep
- https://github.com/tmbinc/bgrep#readme
- input.source_facts.package-manager
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
bgrep | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version0.3
manager updated2026-06-10
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:bgrep |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/tmbinc/bgrep |
| Repository | https://github.com/tmbinc/bgrep |
| Last updated | 2026-06-10T03:29:15Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation