MATLAB v5 workspace file (.mat)

.mat file signature | application/x-matlab-data

MATLAB v5 workspace file (includes creation timestamp)

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0


              4D 41 54 4C 41 42

Sources: Apache Tika

All Known Signatures

2 signature variants are documented for .mat files across multiple sources.

Hex Signature	Offset	Sources
4D 41 54 4C 41 42	0	Apache Tika
4D 41 54 4C 41 42 20 35 2E 30 20 4D 41 54 2D 66 69 6C 65	0	Gary Kessler

Extension

.mat

MIME Type

application/x-matlab-data

Byte Offset

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .mat files in Python

Python

def is_mat(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid MAT by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x4D, 0x41, 0x54, 0x4C, 0x41, 0x42])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(6) == signature

How to validate .mat files in Node.js

Node.js

function isMAT(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x4D, 0x41, 0x54, 0x4C, 0x41, 0x42]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 6).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .mat files in Go

func IsMAT(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x4D, 0x41, 0x54, 0x4C, 0x41, 0x42}
    if len(data) < 6 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:6], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/mat


              curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/mat

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .mat file?

A .mat file is a MATLAB v5 workspace file file. MATLAB v5 workspace file (includes creation timestamp)

What are the magic bytes for .mat files?

The magic bytes for MATLAB v5 workspace file files are 4D 41 54 4C 41 42 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .mat file?

To validate a .mat file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (4D 41 54 4C 41 42) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .mat files?

The primary MIME type for .mat files is application/x-matlab-data.

Is it safe to open .mat files?

MATLAB v5 workspace file (.mat) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.