IPS patch analyzer that does Binary Fingerprint Analysis to look for suspicious writes, and determine (in)compatibility with respect to Headers that change offsets.

ips_count.sh

#!/bin/bash
# cmp -l base hack | wc -l
# cmp -l base hack | while IFS= read -r line; do set $line; printf "%08X  %02X  %02X\n" $(($1 - 1)) 0$2 0$3 ; done
##########################################
#                 CONFIG                 #
##########################################
declare -gi max_per_record=32; # 0xFFFF
susreport_sfc="zsusreport_sfc.csv"; # OR NULL
susreport_smc="zsusreport_smc.csv"; # OR NULL
ips_file="patch.ips"; # patch file under inspection
sfc_file="rom.sfc"; # Unheadered, noninterleaved
smc_file="rom.smc"; #   Headered, noninterleaved
ufo_file="rom.ufo"; #   Headered, interleaved
gd3_file="sf32rom"; # Unheadered, interleaved
##########################################
#                CONSTANTS               #
##########################################
declare -gi ips_eof=0x454F46; # "0x454F46"="EOF"
declare -gi max_size=$max_per_record;
declare -gi max_len=$(( max_size * 2 ));
N=$'\n'

# -------------------------------------
# Automated Conversions via ucon64.exe:
# https://ucon64.sourceforge.io/
# -------------------------------------
# ucon64 --smc "$sfc_file";
# ucon64 --ufo "$sfc_file";
# ucon64 --gd3 "$sfc_file";

##########################################
#                  TRAP                  #
##########################################
function onExit() {
	rc=$?;
	printf "\e[1;33m%s\e[1;36m\n" "onExit()..." >&2
	# FINAL REPORT:
	echo "------------------------------";
	echo "-----total writes: ${ips_count}";
	echo ".sfc shared bytes: ${ips_com_sfc}";
	echo ".smc shared bytes: ${ips_com_smc}";
	# SUSPICIOUS WRITES: SFC
	if (( ${#sfc_info_array[@]} > 0 ));
	then
		echo "${sfc_info_array[@]}" | tr ' ' $'\n' > "$susreport_sfc"
		echo "------------------------------------";
		echo "--Total Suspicious Writes to (.sfc): ${#sfc_info_array[@]}";
		echo "------------------------------------";
		echo "(Displaying the first ten results):";
		cat "${susreport_sfc}" | head -n 10 | column -t -s "|" -N "NUM,@IPS,#IPS,#ROM,@ROM_ADDRESS" -R "NUM,#IPS";
		echo "To view all results, do:";
		echo "cat \"${susreport_sfc}\" | column -t -s \"|\" -N \"NUM,@IPS,#IPS,#ROM,@ROM_ADDRESS\" -R \"NUM,#IPS\"";
		printf "Warning: offset %x is NOT a suspicious write!!!\n" $(( ips_eof - 1 ));
	else
		echo "----------------------------------------";
		echo "There are no suspicious writes to (.sfc)";
		echo "----------------------------------------";
	fi
	# SUSPICIOUS WRITES: SMC
	if (( ${#smc_info_array[@]} > 0 ));
	then
		echo "${smc_info_array[@]}" | tr ' ' $'\n' > "$susreport_smc"
		echo "------------------------------------";
		echo "--Total Suspicious Writes to (.smc): ${#smc_info_array[@]}";
		echo "------------------------------------";
		echo "(Displaying the first ten results):";
		cat "${susreport_smc}" | head -n 10 | column -t -s "|" -N "NUM,@IPS,#IPS,#ROM,@ROM_ADDRESS" -R "NUM,#IPS";
		echo "To view all results, do:";
		echo "cat \"${susreport_smc}\" | column -t -s \"|\" -N \"NUM,@IPS,#IPS,#ROM,@ROM_ADDRESS\" -R \"NUM,#IPS\"";
		printf "Warning: offset %x is NOT a suspicious write!!!\n" $(( ips_eof - 1 ));
	else
		echo "----------------------------------------";
		echo "There are no suspicious writes to (.smc)";
		echo "----------------------------------------";
	fi
	printf "\e[1;33m%s\e[0m\n" "...done." >&2
	echo -en "\007";
	exit ${rc};
} >&2
trap onExit EXIT

declare -gi ips_index=5; # IPS INDEX
declare -gi ips_count=0; # TOTAL NUM IPS WRITES
declare -gi ips_com_sfc=0; # COMMON BYTES: SFC
declare -gi ips_com_smc=0; # COMMON BYTES: SMC
declare -ga sfc_info_array; # SUS IPS RECORDS(.sfc): EACH ENTRY IN PSV FORMAT
declare -ga smc_info_array; # SUS IPS RECORDS(.smc): EACH ENTRY IN PSV FORMAT
##########################################
#                  MAIN                  #
##########################################
while true
do
	# DECLARE AND PARASE OFFSET & SIZE:
	declare -i prev=$ips_index;
	declare -i offset=0;
	declare -i size=0;
	declare -i rle_len=0;
	declare rle_val="";
	declare data="";
	offset=0x$(xxd -ps -s ${ips_index} -l 3 "${ips_file}");
	ips_index+=3;
	size=0x$(xxd -ps -s ${ips_index} -l 2 "${ips_file}");
	ips_index+=2;
	
	# EOF CHECK:
	if (( offset == ips_eof )); then echo "EOF"; break; fi;
	
	# PARSE DATA:
	if (( size == 0 ));
	then
		declare -i rle_len=0x$(xxd -ps -s ${ips_index} -l 2 "${ips_file}");
		ips_index+=2;
		rle_val=$(xxd -ps -s ${ips_index} -l 1 "${ips_file}");
		ips_index+=1;
		if (( rle_len == 0 )); then echo "INVALID RLE_LEN:  Cannot be zero."; break; fi;
		for z in $(seq 1 $rle_len); do data+="$rle_val"; done
		size=$rle_len;
		ips_count+=${size};
	else
		data=$(xxd -ps -s ${ips_index} -l ${size} "${ips_file}" | tr -d $'\n');
		ips_index+=${size};
		ips_count+=${size};
	fi
	
	if [ -z "$data" ]; then echo "NULL DATA"; break; fi;
	
	# COMMON BYTES: SFC
	declare -i num_bytes=0;
	sfc_string="";
	sfc_data=$(xxd -ps -s ${offset} -l ${size} "${sfc_file}" | tr -d $'\n');
	for (( n=0; n < (( ${size} * 2 )); n+=2 ))
	do
		num_bytes+=1;
		if [[ "${sfc_data:$n:2}" == "${data:$n:2}" ]]
		then
			ips_com_sfc+=1;
			sfc_string+="${sfc_data:$n:2}";
		else
			sfc_string+="--";
		fi
		(( num_bytes >= max_size )) && break 1;
	done
	# FIRST SUS BYTE: SFC
	if [[ ${sfc_data:0:2} == ${data:0:2} ]];
	then
		this_info="";
		declare -i this_num;
		this_num="${#sfc_info_array[@]}";
		this_num=$(( this_num + 1 ));
		this_ips_index=$(printf "%06x" "${prev}");
		this_ips_val="${data:0:2}";
		this_sfc_val="${sfc_data:0:2}";
		declare -i loc=$(( offset + 0 ));
		this_sfc_loc=$(printf "%06x" "${loc}");
		this_info+="${this_num}.";
		this_info+="|${this_ips_index}";
		this_info+="|${this_ips_val}";
		this_info+="|${this_sfc_val}";
		this_info+="|${this_sfc_loc}";
		sfc_info_array+=("${this_info}");
	fi
	# LAST SUS BYTE: SFC
	if (( size > 1 )) && [[ ${sfc_data:(-2)} == ${data:(-2)} ]];
	then
		this_info="";
		declare -i this_num;
		this_num="${#sfc_info_array[@]}";
		this_num=$(( this_num + 1 ));
		this_ips_index=$(printf "%06x" "${prev}");
		this_ips_val="${data:(-2)}";
		this_sfc_val="${sfc_data:(-2)}";
		declare -i loc=$(( offset + size - 1 ));
		this_sfc_loc=$(printf "%06x" "${loc}");
		this_info+="${this_num}.";
		this_info+="|${this_ips_index}";
		this_info+="|${this_ips_val}";
		this_info+="|${this_sfc_val}";
		this_info+="|${this_sfc_loc}";
		sfc_info_array+=("${this_info}");
	fi
	
	# COMMON BYTES: SMC
	num_bytes=0;
	smc_string="";
	smc_data=$(xxd -ps -s ${offset} -l ${size} "${smc_file}" | tr -d $'\n');
	for (( n=0; n < (( ${size} * 2 )); n+=2 ))
	do
		num_bytes+=1;
		if [[ "${smc_data:$n:2}" == "${data:$n:2}" ]]
		then
			ips_com_smc+=1;
			smc_string+="${smc_data:$n:2}";
		else
			smc_string+="--";
		fi
		(( num_bytes >= max_size )) && break 1;
	done
# -------------------------------------
# XX----------------YY :....SUS-Writes:
# -------------------------------------
# --XXXX--YYYY--ZZZZ-- :...DNA-Strands:
# --XXXX--YYYY----ZZ-- :.DNA-Fragments:
# --XXXX----YY----ZZ-- :...RNA-Strands:
# --XX------YY----ZZ-- :.RNA-Fragments:
# --XXXX--------YYYY-- :..Fingerprints:
# --XXXX----------YY-- :.Partialprints:
# --XXXX-------------- :....Footprints:
# --XX---------------- :.......Shadows:
# --00------------FF-- :........Ghosts:
# -------------------------------------
#                      :..Shared-Bytes:
	# FIRST SUS BYTE: SMC
	if [[ ${smc_data:0:2} == ${data:0:2} ]];
	then
		this_info="";
		declare -i this_num;
		this_num="${#smc_info_array[@]}";
		this_num=$(( this_num + 1 ));
		this_ips_index=$(printf "%06x" "${prev}");
		this_ips_val="${data:0:2}";
		this_smc_val="${smc_data:0:2}";
		declare -i loc=$(( offset + 0 ));
		this_smc_loc=$(printf "%06x" "${loc}");
		this_info+="${this_num}.";
		this_info+="|${this_ips_index}";
		this_info+="|${this_ips_val}";
		this_info+="|${this_smc_val}";
		this_info+="|${this_smc_loc}";
		smc_info_array+=("${this_info}");
	fi
	# LAST SUS BYTE: SMC
	if (( size > 1 )) && [[ ${smc_data:(-2)} == ${data:(-2)} ]];
	then
		this_info="";
		declare -i this_num;
		this_num="${#smc_info_array[@]}";
		this_num=$(( this_num + 1 ));
		this_ips_index=$(printf "%06x" "${prev}");
		this_ips_val="${data:(-2)}";
		this_smc_val="${smc_data:(-2)}";
		declare -i loc=$(( offset + size - 1 ));
		this_smc_loc=$(printf "%06x" "${loc}");
		this_info+="${this_num}.";
		this_info+="|${this_ips_index}";
		this_info+="|${this_ips_val}";
		this_info+="|${this_smc_val}";
		this_info+="|${this_smc_loc}";
		smc_info_array+=("${this_info}");
	fi
	
	# IPS RECORD REPORT:
	echo "------------------------------";
	printf "patch->index: 0x%06x\n" ${prev};
	printf "offset: 0x%06x\n" ${offset};
	printf "size: 0x%x\n" ${size};
	echo "data: '${data:0:$max_len}'";
	echo ".sfc: '${sfc_string}'";
	echo ".smc: '${smc_string}'";
	echo "count: '${ips_count}'";
	printf "patch->index: 0x%06x\n" ${ips_index};
done # DONE PARSING IPS PATCH
exit 0;

This is just a quick & dirty "proof of concept" that I whipped up in Bash.

Right now, it is tightly coupled to some underlying assumptions:

Like, that you're wanting to compare a Headered source file against an Unheadered source file (like with SMC vs SFC on SNES).

Here's a sample report (for Chrono Trigger Refined): https://pastebin.com/raw/5VfQsE9L

Bytes hidden by dashes are not relevant: We are only looking for shared bytes (that leave evidence of the TRUE Parent-Clone Baserom & Source File). This is simply a consequence of the IPS specification:

• https://zerosoft.zophar.net/ips.php
• https://gist.github.com/ravener/95aac30eb7d2fdc5e983bc143a7cfdf0