java 'binexport tried to access method' when non default settingsdir set in launch.properties

[bukowa]

class com.google.security.zynamics.BinExport$BinExport2 tried to access method 'com.google.protobuf.LazyStringArrayList com.google.protobuf.LazyStringArrayList.emptyList()' (com.google.security.zynamics.BinExport$BinExport2 and com.google.protobuf.LazyStringArrayList are in unnamed module of loader ghidra.GhidraClassLoader @3aa9e816)
java.lang.IllegalAccessError: class com.google.security.zynamics.BinExport$BinExport2 tried to access method 'com.google.protobuf.LazyStringArrayList com.google.protobuf.LazyStringArrayList.emptyList()' (com.google.security.zynamics.BinExport$BinExport2 and com.google.protobuf.LazyStringArrayList are in unnamed module of loader ghidra.GhidraClassLoader @3aa9e816)
	at com.google.security.zynamics.BinExport$BinExport2.<init>(BinExport.java:19352)
	at com.google.security.zynamics.BinExport$BinExport2.<clinit>(BinExport.java:25089)
	at com.google.security.binexport.BinExport2Builder.<init>(BinExport2Builder.java:81)
	at com.google.security.binexport.BinExportExporter.export(BinExportExporter.java:92)
	at bindiffhelper.BinDiffHelperPlugin.binExportDomainFile(BinDiffHelperPlugin.java:131)
	at bindiffhelper.BinDiffHelperPlugin.lambda$callBinDiff$0(BinDiffHelperPlugin.java:164)
	at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1583)

---------------------------------------------------
Build Date: 2025-Feb-05 1536 EST
Ghidra Version: 11.3
Java Home: C:\ghidra\ghidra_11.3\Contrib\jdk-21.0.6+7
JVM Version: Eclipse Adoptium 21.0.6
OS: Windows 10 10.0 amd64

bindiff 8
bindiff 7
ghidra 11.3

I don't know what happened but reverting back to v0.6.1 doesn't help...

Edit: doesn't happen with fresh install of ghidra

Edit: I can reproduce if you change these settings to non defaults (set to any dir but must be full path)

# ghidra_11.3_PUBLIC\support\launch.properties
VMARGS=-Dapplication.settingsdir=
VMARGS=-Dapplication.cachedir=

[bukowa]

You can land on this issue

• IllegalAccessError when running in Docker Container google/binexport#137 (comment)
• Java error running ghidra export google/binexport#144 (comment)

Note the comment near these settings

Overridden values
# are required to be absolute paths. The current user name may be incorporated into the settings
# directory's name if the settings directory lives outside of the user's home directory.

Indeed the paths differ as this is the default path:

This is changed path (*note the username added as comment mentions)

VMARGS=-Dapplication.settingsdir=C:\ghidra\ghidra_11.3\Contrib\APPDATA

This may be some upstream stuff I don't know.

[BonusPlay]

I'm using nix derivation which has all of those set to defaults.

$ cat /nix/store/j1sq5aa24fbmd5m8r40bz5s9x4dy8b9g-ghidra-11.2.1/lib/ghidra/support/launch.properties  | grep VMARGS | grep appli
VMARGS_MACOS=-Dapple.awt.application.appearance=system
#VMARGS=-Dapplication.settingsdir=
#VMARGS=-Dapplication.cachedir=
#VMARGS=-Dapplication.tempdir=

[bukowa]

Just to confirm, it happens for me only when this setting is set:

#VMARGS=-Dapplication.settingsdir=

Edit:

INFO  Searching for classes...   (ClassSearcher.java:409) 
INFO  Ignoring class 'com.google.security.binexport.BinExportExporter' from 

'C:\Users\buk\AppData\Roaming\ghidra\ghidra_11.4_DEV_location_IdeaProjects\Extensions\BinExport\lib\BinExport.jar'. 
Already found at 

'C:\Users\buk\AppData\Roaming\ghidra\ghidra_11.4_DEV_location_IdeaProjects\Extensions\BinDiffHelper\lib\BinExport.jar'.   (ClassSearcher.java:452) 

[BonusPlay]

These are all the non-commented lines in my launch.properties

JAVA_HOME_OVERRIDE=
VMARGS=-Djava.system.class.loader=ghidra.GhidraClassLoader
VMARGS=-Dfile.encoding=UTF8
VMARGS=-Duser.country=US
VMARGS=-Duser.language=en
VMARGS=-Duser.variant=
VMARGS=-Dsun.java2d.opengl=false
VMARGS_LINUX=-Dsun.java2d.pmoffscreen=false
VMARGS_LINUX=-Dsun.java2d.xrender=true
VMARGS_LINUX=-Dsun.java2d.uiScale=1
VMARGS_LINUX=-Dawt.useSystemAAFontSettings=on
VMARGS_WINDOWS=-Dsun.java2d.d3d=false
VMARGS=-Djdk.tls.client.protocols=TLSv1.2,TLSv1.3
VMARGS=-Dcpu.core.limit=
VMARGS=-Dcpu.core.override=
VMARGS=-Dfont.size.override=
VMARGS=-Dpython.console.encoding=UTF-8
VMARGS_MACOS=-Declipse.filelock.disable=true
VMARGS_MACOS=-Dapple.laf.useScreenMenuBar=false
VMARGS_MACOS=-Dapple.awt.application.appearance=system
VMARGS_WINDOWS=-Dlog4j.skipJansi=true
VMARGS=-Xshare:off

and I"m getting this issue