Decompile and inspect .NET assemblies from the command line — and from an AI assistant
Glass.NET is a free .NET decompiler built around navigation — you open an assembly and read it like your own source. But plenty of the work you do with a decompiler isn't interactive at all. You want to gate a CI job on whether a dependency changed its public surface, emit a software bill of materials for every binary you ship, or check that the NuGet package you just pulled is really what it…
Glass.NET is a free .NET decompiler that allows users to analyze assemblies like their own source code. It provides a headless CLI and a Model Context Protocol server, enabling AI assistants to inspect assemblies without the need for a graphical interface. Four main commands are available: export, sbom, verify, and diff.
The export command reconstructs a buildable C# project or a single member from an assembly, making it useful for tasks like diffing against source, patching, or sharing a reproducible tree with others. The sbom command generates a software bill of materials in CycloneDX JSON format, listing an assembly's identity, target framework, and all its dependencies.
The verify command checks a package's authenticity and strong-name identity, ensuring it matches the declared information. Lastly, the diff command compares two builds and reports the changes in the public surface.
These tools allow for static analysis of .NET assemblies, enabling developers to gate CI jobs on dependency changes, create software bills of materials, verify package authenticity, and compare builds—all without executing the assemblies themselves.
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