probe-bridge

name: probe-bridge description: Interact with ARC Probe GUI via the Claude Bridge (HTTP :9996). Send probe commands, create structs, navigate tabs, set labels, and control the GUI programmatically. Use when the user wants to drive ARC Probe from Claude Code. argument-hint: [action or probe command]

ARC Probe — Claude Bridge Interaction

You have access to the ARC Probe GUI via an HTTP bridge on 127.0.0.1:9996. This lets you send probe commands, mutate GUI state, and navigate the interface — all through curl.

How to Send Commands

All requests are POST with Content-Type: application/json:

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"action":"probe","command":"ping"}'

IMPORTANT: Always include -H "Content-Type: application/json" or the bridge will reject the request.

Actions

probe — Send TCP command to probe-shell.dll

Passthrough to the injected DLL's TCP server. Returns the probe's JSON response.

# Health check
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"ping"}'

# Read memory
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"read 0x7FFB0A8D0000 256"}'

# Pattern scan
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"pattern 48 8B 05 ?? ?? ?? ?? client.dll --resolve 3"}'

# Read pointer
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"read_ptr 0x7FFB0A8D0000+0x2E76FE8"}'

Response: {"ok":true,"data":{"ok":true,"data":{...}}}

The outer ok is the bridge status. The inner ok/data is from the probe itself.

navigate — Switch GUI tabs

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"navigate","tab":"structs"}'

# Navigate to hex view at a specific address
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"navigate","tab":"hex","address":"0x7FFB0A8D0000"}'

# Navigate to disasm at address
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"navigate","tab":"disasm","address":"0x7FFB0A8D1000"}'

Tabs: console, hex, structs, disasm, scanner, functions

Sub-tab navigation (Functions tab):

# Navigate to a specific sub-tab within Functions
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"navigate","tab":"functions","subtab":"graph"}'

Functions sub-tabs: functions, strings, classes, bookmarks, graph

store — Mutate Zustand stores directly

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"struct","method":"createStruct","args":["MyStruct","0x1000",512]}'

See "Store Methods" section below for all available stores and methods.

activity — Update Claude indicator in GUI

# Show working status
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"activity","status":"working","message":"Scanning entity list..."}'

# Set idle
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"activity","status":"idle","message":"Ready"}'

Statuses: disconnected, idle, working

batch — Multiple actions in one request

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"activity","status":"working","message":"Building struct..."},
    {"action":"store","store":"struct","method":"createStruct","args":["Entity","0x1000",256]},
    {"action":"store","store":"struct","method":"addField","args":["Entity",0,"pointer","vtable"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"struct","method":"addField","args":["Entity",852,"int32","m_iHealth"]},
    {"action":"navigate","tab":"structs"},
    {"action":"activity","status":"idle","message":"Done"}
  ]
}'

Batch actions execute sequentially. Each returns its own result in the response array.

Store Methods

struct

Field types: int8, int16, int32, int64, uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64, float, double, bool, pointer, char, wchar, vec2, vec3, qangle, color32, colorf, matrix3x4, flags, enum32, handle, gametime, string_ptr

Note: addField offset is in decimal (not hex). Convert hex offsets: 0x330 = 816, 0x354 = 852, etc.

hex

disasm

label

probe (GUI store, not the TCP probe)

functions

strings

rtti

bookmarks

xrefs

analysis

The analysis store powers the Explain view — a visual, human-readable breakdown of what a function does.

The Explain view is available in two places:

1. Functions tab — click a function, the detail pane defaults to the "Explain" tab
2. Disasm tab — click the "Explain" button in the toolbar, or use the "Explain" right panel tab

The analysis extracts:

• String references: all strings the function loads (via RIP-relative LEA/MOV)
• Function calls: grouped by target with call counts
• Step-by-step blocks: logical grouping of instructions with plain-English labels
• Data access: struct field offsets read/written (e.g., [rsi+0x1AF8])
• Summary: auto-generated one-line description from patterns

callgraph

The callgraph store powers the Graph sub-tab — an interactive node canvas showing function call relationships.

# Build a call graph starting from a function, 2 levels deep
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"store","store":"callgraph","method":"buildGraph","args":["0x7FFB0C510000", 2]},
    {"action":"navigate","tab":"functions","subtab":"graph"}
  ]
}'

New Probe TCP Commands

These are sent via {"action":"probe","command":"..."}:

Probe TCP Commands Reference

These are sent via {"action":"probe","command":"..."}:

Addresses support + for offsets: 0x7FFB0A8D0000+0x2E76FE8

Quick Start

Run these first five commands when starting any new investigation session:

# 1. Verify connection to probe
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"ping"}'

# 2. List loaded modules (find your target)
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"modules list"}'

# 3. Batch-populate the GUI: discover functions + scan strings + scan RTTI for the main module
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"activity","status":"working","message":"Populating GUI panels..."},
    {"action":"store","store":"functions","method":"discoverFunctions","args":["client.dll"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"strings","method":"scanStrings","args":["client.dll"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"rtti","method":"scanModule","args":["client.dll"]}
  ]
}'

# 4. Navigate to the functions tab to start exploring
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"navigate","tab":"functions"}'

# 5. Set activity to idle
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"activity","status":"idle","message":"Ready"}'

Replace client.dll with whatever module you are targeting. For smaller binaries, step 3 takes a few seconds. For large modules (60MB+), it can take 10-30 seconds -- the working activity indicator keeps the user informed.

After this, the Functions, Strings, and Classes panels are all populated and searchable in the GUI.

Workflow

If the user provides an argument, treat it as a probe command and send it directly.

Otherwise, follow this decision tree:

1. Check connectivity: Send ping via probe action.
2. Get module bases: modules list -- identify the target module(s).
3. Set activity status to working when doing multi-step operations.
4. Use batch to combine multiple store mutations into one request (avoids many round-trips).
5. Navigate to the relevant tab after populating data.
6. Set activity back to idle when done.
7. Present results clearly -- summarize JSON into readable tables.

Populating GUI Panels

Always populate the three discovery panels early. They feed into each other:

• Functions (discoverFunctions) -- exports, .pdata unwind entries, and RTTI vtable owners. Gives you a function list with addresses, names, and sizes.
• Strings (scanStrings) -- all printable strings in a module. Each string has an address you can xref.
• Classes (scanModule) -- RTTI type descriptors with class names. Each class links to a vtable you can expand.

Batch all three in one request (see Quick Start). You can target multiple modules by sending separate batch calls:

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"activity","status":"working","message":"Scanning engine2.dll..."},
    {"action":"store","store":"functions","method":"discoverFunctions","args":["engine2.dll"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"strings","method":"scanStrings","args":["engine2.dll"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"rtti","method":"scanModule","args":["engine2.dll"]},
    {"action":"activity","status":"idle","message":"Done"}
  ]
}'

String Investigation Workflow

Goal: find a function by starting from a known string (error message, log text, class name literal).

# Step 1: Search for the string in the already-scanned strings
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"strings","method":"findStrings","args":["error: invalid"]}'

# Step 2: Select the interesting string (loads its details in the GUI panel)
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"strings","method":"selectString","args":["0x7FFB0C123456"]}'

# Step 3: Load xrefs -- find code that references this string
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"strings","method":"loadXrefs","args":["0x7FFB0C123456"]}'

# Step 4: Disassemble at the xref address to see the referencing function
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"disasm func 0x7FFB0C200100"}'

# Step 5: Name the function and bookmark it
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"store","store":"functions","method":"setFunctionName","args":["0x7FFB0C200100","ValidateInput"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"bookmarks","method":"addBookmark","args":["0x7FFB0C200100","ValidateInput","blue","client.dll"]},
    {"action":"navigate","tab":"disasm","address":"0x7FFB0C200100"}
  ]
}'

You can also use the probe TCP command directly if you haven't scanned strings yet:

# Direct string search + xref via probe (bypasses GUI stores)
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"strings find error: invalid"}'

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"strings xref 0x7FFB0C123456"}'

Class Investigation Workflow

Goal: understand a C++ class -- its hierarchy, vtable layout, and virtual functions.

# Step 1: Search for the class in scanned RTTI data
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"rtti","method":"findClass","args":["CPlayerController"]}'

# Step 2: Select the class (shows details in the GUI Classes panel)
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"rtti","method":"selectClass","args":["CPlayerController"]}'

# Step 3: Load the inheritance hierarchy
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"rtti","method":"loadHierarchy","args":["CPlayerController","client.dll"]}'

# Step 4: Load the vtable entries (each entry is a virtual function address)
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"rtti","method":"loadVtable","args":["CPlayerController","client.dll"]}'

# Step 5: Disassemble interesting vtable entries and name them
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"probe","command":"disasm func 0x7FFB0C300200"},
    {"action":"store","store":"functions","method":"setFunctionName","args":["0x7FFB0C300200","CPlayerController::GetHealth"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"functions","method":"setFunctionComment","args":["0x7FFB0C300200","vtable[3], reads m_iHealth at rcx+0x354"]}
  ]
}'

To explore a class from an object pointer (no prior RTTI scan needed):

# Resolve RTTI from a live object
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"rtti resolve 0x055EA1C28FE8"}'

# Get the full hierarchy
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"rtti hierarchy CPlayerController"}'

# Get vtable entries
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"rtti vtable CPlayerController"}'

Bookmarking Findings

Use bookmarks to tag important addresses with colors for visual categorization. Colors help you (and the user) distinguish different types of findings at a glance.

Color conventions:

# Bookmark a function
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"bookmarks","method":"addBookmark","args":["0x7FFB0C200100","ValidateInput","blue","client.dll"]}'

# Bookmark a global variable
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"bookmarks","method":"addBookmark","args":["0x7FFB0A8D0000+0x2E76FE8","g_EntityList","green","client.dll"]}'

# Update an existing bookmark's label or color
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"bookmarks","method":"updateBookmark","args":["0x7FFB0C200100",{"label":"ValidateInput (confirmed)","color":"blue"}]}'

# Batch-bookmark multiple findings from one investigation
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"store","store":"bookmarks","method":"addBookmark","args":["0x7FFB0C300000","CPlayerController vtable","purple","client.dll"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"bookmarks","method":"addBookmark","args":["0x7FFB0C300200","CPlayerController::GetHealth","blue","client.dll"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"bookmarks","method":"addBookmark","args":["0x7FFB0C300240","CPlayerController::SetHealth","red","client.dll"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"bookmarks","method":"addBookmark","args":["0x7FFB0C400000","g_PlayerManager","green","client.dll"]}
  ]
}'

Cross-Referencing

Load xrefs for any function to see who calls it (callers) and what it calls (callees).

# Load xrefs for a function address
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"xrefs","method":"loadXrefs","args":["0x7FFB0C200100"]}'

# Set the active address so the GUI highlights the xref data
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"xrefs","method":"setActiveAddress","args":["0x7FFB0C200100"]}'

The xref data appears in the Functions tab detail panel. Each caller/callee is clickable in the GUI, which navigates the disassembly view.

Full xref exploration flow:

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"activity","status":"working","message":"Loading xrefs for UpdateHealth..."},
    {"action":"store","store":"xrefs","method":"loadXrefs","args":["0x7FFB0C200100"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"xrefs","method":"setActiveAddress","args":["0x7FFB0C200100"]},
    {"action":"navigate","tab":"functions"},
    {"action":"activity","status":"idle","message":"Xrefs loaded"}
  ]
}'

Then examine each caller:

# Disassemble a caller to understand why it calls UpdateHealth
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"disasm func 0x7FFB0C210000"}'

# Name the caller if you identify it
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"functions","method":"setFunctionName","args":["0x7FFB0C210000","ProcessDamageEvent"]}'

Function Calling

Use the call command to invoke discovered functions directly. This is powerful for testing hypotheses about what a function does.

# Analyze a function's calling convention before calling it
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"call info 0x7FFB0C200100"}'

# Call a function with integer arguments (args go into RCX, RDX, R8, R9)
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"call 0x7FFB0C200100 42 100"}'

# Call a member function with a this pointer
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"call 0x7FFB0C200100 42 --this 0x055EA1C28FE8"}'

# Call a function that takes float arguments (specify which arg positions are floats)
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"call 0x7FFB0C200100 42 3.14 --float 2"}'

# Review call history
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"call history"}'

Safety: Calling arbitrary functions can crash the process. Always:

1. Disassemble the function first to understand what it does.
2. Use call info to check the prologue and expected arguments.
3. Start with simple getter functions (no side effects) before trying setters.
4. Check call history to review return values and detect failures.

Write Tracking with Session Commands

The session commands track all memory writes so you can safely experiment and restore original values.

# List all tracked writes in this session
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"session list"}'

# Before experimenting, read the original value
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"read_int 0x055EA1C28FE8+0x354"}'

# Write a test value (session automatically tracks it)
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"write_int 0x055EA1C28FE8+0x354 999"}'

# Check session to see the tracked write with original bytes
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"session list"}'

# Restore a single write by its ID
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"session restore 1"}'

# Or restore ALL writes at once (undo everything)
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"session restore all"}'

# Validate that tracked addresses are still valid memory
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"session validate"}'

# Get details on a specific write record
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"session info 1"}'

Best practice: Always use session list after a series of writes so you can report to the user what was changed and offer to restore.

Putting It All Together: Full Investigation Example

Here is a complete workflow combining multiple panels. Goal: find and understand a "damage calculation" function.

# 1. Ensure panels are populated (Quick Start step 3)

# 2. Search for damage-related strings
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"store","store":"strings","method":"findStrings","args":["damage"]}'

# 3. Pick a promising string, get its xrefs
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"store","store":"strings","method":"selectString","args":["0x7FFB0C500000"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"strings","method":"loadXrefs","args":["0x7FFB0C500000"]}
  ]
}'

# 4. Disassemble the referencing function
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"disasm func 0x7FFB0C510000"}'

# 5. The function accesses an object via RCX. Resolve its RTTI.
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"action":"probe","command":"rtti resolve 0x055EA1C28FE8"}'
# Returns: CDamageCalculator

# 6. Explore the class hierarchy and vtable
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"store","store":"rtti","method":"selectClass","args":["CDamageCalculator"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"rtti","method":"loadHierarchy","args":["CDamageCalculator","client.dll"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"rtti","method":"loadVtable","args":["CDamageCalculator","client.dll"]}
  ]
}'

# 7. Load xrefs for the function to see its callers
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"store","store":"xrefs","method":"loadXrefs","args":["0x7FFB0C510000"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"xrefs","method":"setActiveAddress","args":["0x7FFB0C510000"]}
  ]
}'

# 8. Name the function, comment it, bookmark it
curl -s -X POST http://localhost:9996 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{
  "action":"batch","actions":[
    {"action":"store","store":"functions","method":"setFunctionName","args":["0x7FFB0C510000","CDamageCalculator::CalculateDamage"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"functions","method":"setFunctionComment","args":["0x7FFB0C510000","Refs string \"damage\", called from ProcessHitEvent. RCX=this, EDX=raw_damage, R8=armor_type"]},
    {"action":"store","store":"bookmarks","method":"addBookmark","args":["0x7FFB0C510000","CalculateDamage","blue","client.dll"]},
    {"action":"navigate","tab":"functions"},
    {"action":"activity","status":"idle","message":"Investigation complete"}
  ]
}'

Tips

• The bridge HTTP server runs inside the Tauri GUI backend. If ARC Probe GUI isn't running, the bridge is unavailable.
• The probe TCP server runs inside the injected DLL. If probe-shell.dll isn't injected, probe commands will fail (but navigate/store/activity still work).
• For large reads (>256 bytes), the probe response has hex but not bytes array. The GUI handles this.
• Pattern scans on large modules (60MB+ client.dll) take several seconds. Set activity to working first.
• Address arithmetic works in probe commands: read_ptr 0x7FFB0A8D0000+0x330
• Struct field offsets in addField are decimal integers, not hex strings.
• Batch aggressively. Every HTTP round-trip costs latency. Combine store mutations, bookmarks, labels, and navigation into a single batch whenever possible.
• Name functions as you go. Use setFunctionName and setFunctionComment immediately after identifying a function. These persist in the GUI session and make later exploration much easier.
• Bookmark with colors consistently. Pick a color scheme (see Bookmarking section) and stick with it so the user can visually parse the bookmark list.
• Xrefs are bidirectional. loadXrefs returns both callers (who calls this function) and callees (what this function calls). Use callees to understand dependencies, callers to understand usage.
• Session commands are your safety net. Before any write experiment, note the session state. After writes, always report what was changed and offer session restore all as an undo.
• The GUI panels are interconnected. Clicking a function in the Functions tab can navigate to disassembly. Clicking an xref jumps to the caller. Clicking a class in Classes shows its vtable. Use navigate to guide the user's view to the right panel at the right time.
• For Source 2 games, scan client.dll first (largest, most game logic), then engine2.dll and schemasystem.dll as needed.