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AI USE CASES

How to list modules and IPC in an Electron app with rea

Run one command on an extracted Electron app or ASAR to see its modules, imports and process boundaries.

Authorization notice. rea is dual-use. Only use it on software, sites and systems you own or have explicit permission to test.

Who it is forDeveloper vetting or learning from an Electron desktop app they have installed

The problemPackaged Electron apps hide their structure inside bundled files, so you cannot easily see what talks to what.

The outcomeA JSON report of modules, imports, Electron boundaries and the evidence for each.

What you need first

  • Node.js 22.x (>=22.19), 24.x (>=24.11), or 26+, plus npm
  • An MCP-capable AI agent such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or Gemini CLI
  • For native binaries: Hopper, Ghidra or IDA installed locally
  • For websites: a Chrome-family browser
  • On Linux: a procps-compatible ps on PATH for JavaScript/Electron analysis

Steps

  1. Locate the extracted app directory or ASAR file on disk.
  2. Run npx -y rea-agents@latest analyze-javascript-application /absolute/path/to/app --json
  3. Read the report for modules, imports and Electron boundaries.
  4. Feed the JSON to your agent and ask it to explain the feature you care about.

Prompt for your agent

Run REA's analyze-javascript-application on <path to extracted Electron app> and explain the main modules, imports and IPC boundaries. Verify each finding cites evidence from the report.

Caveat. On Linux you need a procps-compatible ps on PATH. Replace the example path with your own, such as a Windows path like D:/apps/example.

About rea

A plug-in that lets your AI agent take apart an app and explain how a feature works. Part of this week's top 10 repos: ranked #1 on Repo Radar. View morluto/rea on GitHub.

More with rea

See all use cases for morluto/rea

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