xxd

Hex dump and reverse hex-to-binary.

KaliParrotLinuxpassive

pkg: xxd

xxd shows a file in hex and can rebuild binaries from hex — handy in RE, CTFs and crafting payloads.

Syntax

xxd {file} | xxd -r

Example

xxd payload.bin | head

Shows the first lines of a hex dump of the binary.

Options & flags

What each switch does. Toggle them in the builder below to assemble a command.

`(default)`	Hex + ASCII dump of a file.
`-r` <value>	Reverse — convert hex back to binary.
`-l` <64>	Dump only N bytes.
`-s` <0x10>	Start at byte offset.
`-p`	Plain hex (no offsets/ASCII).

Command builder

Tick options (and fill any values) to build a ready-to-copy command.

xxd

(default)Hex + ASCII dump of a file.-rReverse — convert hex back to binary.-lDump only N bytes.-sStart at byte offset.-pPlain hex (no offsets/ASCII).

Usage examples

xxd binary | head

Hex dump the first lines.

xxd -p data | tr -d "\n"

Get a continuous hex string.

Advantages

Quick hex inspection
Hex↔binary round-trip

Disadvantages

Basic vs hex editors
CLI only

Tags

#hex#binary

Official docs: xxd ↗

Related commands

objdump

Disassemble and inspect object files.

strings

Extract printable strings from binaries.

Frequently asked questions

What is xxd used for?

xxd shows a file in hex and can rebuild binaries from hex — handy in RE, CTFs and crafting payloads.

What is an example xxd command?

A common example is: xxd payload.bin | head — Shows the first lines of a hex dump of the binary.

Is xxd part of Kali Linux?

Yes. xxd ships with Kali Linux (and Parrot OS). If missing, install it with: sudo apt install xxd.

What category of security tool is xxd?

xxd is a Core Linux tool with a passive-risk profile when run against a live target.

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