Error while populating FunctionID database for Xtensa

[krsh]

Describe the bug
I'm attempting to populate a FunctionIDs database for the Xtensa architecture, but I am encountering the following error:

Cannot invoke "ghidra.program.model.mem.MemoryBlock.isInitialized()" because "block" is null
java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "ghidra.program.model.mem.MemoryBlock.isInitialized()" because "block" is null
	at ghidra.feature.fid.service.FidServiceLibraryIngest.functionIsExternal(FidServiceLibraryIngest.java:627)
	at ghidra.feature.fid.service.FidServiceLibraryIngest.addChildRelations(FidServiceLibraryIngest.java:431)
	at ghidra.feature.fid.service.FidServiceLibraryIngest.populateLibraryFromProgram(FidServiceLibraryIngest.java:283)
	at ghidra.feature.fid.service.FidServiceLibraryIngest.create(FidServiceLibraryIngest.java:244)
	at ghidra.feature.fid.service.FidService.createNewLibraryFromPrograms(FidService.java:201)
	at ghidra.feature.fid.plugin.IngestTask.run(IngestTask.java:95)
	at ghidra.util.task.Task.monitoredRun(Task.java:134)
	at ghidra.util.task.TaskRunner.lambda$startTaskThread$0(TaskRunner.java:106)
	at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1144)
	at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:642)
	at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1570)

---------------------------------------------------
Build Date: 2024-Apr-11 1104 UTC
Ghidra Version: 11.0.3
Java Home: /usr/lib/jvm/java-22-openjdk
JVM Version: N/A 22
OS: Linux 6.8.7-arch1-1 amd64

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Go to 'Tools -> Function ID -> Create new empty FidDb'
2. Click on 'Tools -> Function ID -> Populate FidDb'
3. Select a xtensa Elf application as 'Root Folder'
4. See error

Expected behavior
Populate the FidDb file with the functions found in the application

Environment (please complete the following information):

• OS: Linux 6.8.7-arch1-1 amd64
• Java Version: 22
• Ghidra Version: 11.0.3
• Ghidra Origin: third party distro

[emteere]

Can you tell which program it is ingesting and is causing the stacktrace?

Somehow there is a function defined in non-existent memory in one of your binaries you are ingesting. This code should check for that. However is could be a bug in the analysis creating a function in memory that doesn't exist, or it could be an issue with processing of declarations in the ELF file, especially if the binary is a .o file.

If you can identify which binary is being processed, can you share the binary?

[krsh]

This is the binary: app.elf.tar.gz

[ghidra1]

I have not seen an ELF binary like this before. It appears to be pre-linked with external symbol locations and does not rely on a dynamic linker. All of the external functions appear to have pre-assigned addresses which do not correspond to defined memory blocks. While a null block check would be simple enough to add to the offending code in this case, these functions will only appear in the symbol table/tree and will not be identified as external. Although, the function signatures can still be viewed (tree: tooltip, table: preview column) and the function editor invoked on these symbols.

Most things appear to work OK, but I also see the following issues with this binary during processing:

• pcode errors related to SymbolicPropogator
• DWARF processing errors (will be addressed separately)