The Binary Analysis Tool (BAT) makes it easier and cheaper to look inside binary code, find compliance issues, and reduce uncertainty when deploying Free and Open Source Software. It is a modular framework that assists compliance and due diligence activities by using the same type of approach applied by gpl-violations.org to discover issues in consumer electronics. BAT is available for free under the Apache license so that everyone can use, study, share and improve it.

BAT can detect Redboot, loadlin and uboot bootloaders, open ZIP, RAR, tar, cpio and LZMA archives, search for Linux kernel and Busybox issues, identify dynamically linked libraries and report outcomes in XML format. It also features knowledge-base support to allow high fidelity customization for advanced users.

Version 5 of the tool was released on the 18th of October 2011. It introduces support for unpacking more file systems and compressed files, a blacklisting and priority system to vastly reduce scanning speed, and the introduction of an advanced scanning method using a vast knowledgebase.

The Binary Analysis Tool was initially created by Loohuis Consulting and Opendawn. It is currently maintained and further developed by Tjaldur Software Governance Solutions. Initial development was sponsored by NLnet Foundation, and further development has been sponsored by Linux Foundation