elf-inspection

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/path/to/libs:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
# Or install the library and run ldconfig
sudo ldconfig

nm prog                       # all symbols (T=text, D=data, U=undefined, etc.)
nm -D ./libfoo.so             # dynamic symbols only
nm -C prog                    # demangle C++ symbols
nm --defined-only prog        # only defined symbols
nm -u prog                    # only undefined (needed) symbols
nm -S prog                    # include symbol size
 
# Search for a symbol
nm -D /usr/lib/libssl.so | grep SSL_read

readelf -h prog               # ELF header (arch, type, entry point)
readelf -S prog               # all sections
readelf -l prog               # program headers (segments)
readelf -d prog               # dynamic section (like ldd but raw)
readelf -s prog               # symbol table
readelf -r prog               # relocations
readelf -n prog               # notes (build ID, ABI tag)
readelf --debug-dump=info prog | head -100  # DWARF info
readelf -a prog               # all of the above

# Disassemble all code sections
objdump -d prog
objdump -d -M intel prog      # Intel syntax
 
# Disassemble + intermix source (needs -g at compile time)
objdump -d -S prog
 
# Disassemble specific symbol
objdump -d prog | awk '/^[0-9a-f]+ <main>:/,/^$/'
 
# All sections (including data)
objdump -D prog
 
# Header info
objdump -f prog
objdump -p prog               # private headers (including needed libs)

# Check for PIE, RELRO, stack canary, NX
# Use checksec (install separately)
checksec --file=prog
 
# Manual checks:
readelf -h prog | grep Type           # ET_DYN = PIE, ET_EXEC = non-PIE
readelf -d prog | grep GNU_RELRO      # RELRO present
readelf -d prog | grep BIND_NOW       # full RELRO
readelf -s prog | grep __stack_chk    # stack protector
readelf -l prog | grep GNU_STACK      # NX bit (RW = no exec, RWE = exec stack)

# Detailed section sizes
size --format=sysv prog | sort -k2 -nr | head -20
 
# Per-object contribution (with -Wl,--print-map or bloaty)
# Bloaty (install separately): https://github.com/google/bloaty
bloaty prog
 
# Check stripped vs not
file prog
strip --strip-all -o prog.stripped prog
ls -lh prog prog.stripped

readelf -n prog | grep 'Build ID'
# or
file prog | grep BuildID

# Which library was expected to provide it?
nm -D libfoo.so | grep mysymbol
# Is the library in the runtime path?
ldd ./prog | grep libfoo
# Check LD_PRELOAD / LD_LIBRARY_PATH

size --format=sysv prog | sort -k2 -nr | head
nm -S --defined-only prog | sort -k2 -nr | head -20
objdump -d prog | awk '/^[0-9a-f]+ </{fn=$2} /^[0-9a-f]/{count[fn]++} END{for(f in count) print count[f], f}' | sort -nr | head -20