XPatch - XML-Based Binary Patching Tool

XPatch is a command-line tool that lets you apply binary patches to files using XML patch definitions. It can patch files, undo those changes, and check file integrity with MD5 checksums

Features

✅ XML Patch Definitions : Define binary patches in XML for precise file modifications.
✅ Dry Run Mode : Check if patches work before applying them.
✅ Unpatch Support : Revert applied patches when needed.
✅ MD5 Verification : Ensure file integrity before and after patching.

Usage

Basic Patching

xpatch PATCH_FILE.xml TARGET_FILE [OPTIONS]

Options

Patch XML Format

Example patch file (example.xml):

<patch name="example_patch" md5sum="d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e">
  <alter id="patch1" start="0x100" length="16">
    <from encoding="hex">48656c6c6f20576f726c6421</from> <!-- "Hello World!" -->
    <to encoding="hex">476f6f646279652021</to>         <!-- "Goodbye !" -->
  </alter>
</patch>

XML Structure

• <patch> (Root element)
  • name: Patch identifier (optional)
  • md5sum: Expected MD5 of the target file (optional, used with -m)
• <alter> (Patch operation)
  • id: Unique identifier for the patch
  • start: Byte offset where the patch starts (hex or decimal)
  • length: Number of bytes to replace (optional, defaults to <from> length)
• <from> (Original data)
  • encoding="hex" (default) or encoding="text"
• <to> (New data)
  • Must be ≤ length of <from>

Examples

1. Apply a Patch

xpatch example.xml target.bin -v -m

• Verifies target.bin matches the expected MD5 (md5sum in XML).
• Applies changes defined in example.xml.
• Logs verbose output.

2. Dry Run (Test Patch Without Applying)

xpatch example.xml target.bin -n

• Checks if the patch is applicable without modifying the file.

3. Unpatch (Revert Changes)

xpatch example.xml target.bin -u

• Reverts the changes made by example.xml.

XPatch : The flexible binary patching tool. 🔧🔗