LIEF is a cross-platform library for working with executable and binary formats.
It’s designed for developers, reverse engineers, security researchers, and tooling authors who need to inspect, transform, or integrate support for formats such as ELF, PE, Mach-O, COFF, OAT, DEX, VDEX, and ART. The project provides APIs for several programming languages and can be used in analysis tools, build workflows, instrumentation utilities, and binary modification pipelines.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Works with a broad range of executable and Android-related binary formats.
- Provides APIs for C++, Python, Rust, and C.
- Offers access to binary internals such as sections, symbols, headers, and entry points.
- Includes support for DWARF and PDB debugging information.
- Supports Objective-C metadata and Dyld Shared Cache workflows.
- Includes disassembler support for architectures including AArch64, x86, ARM, RISC-V, MIPS, PowerPC, and eBPF.
- Provides assembler support for AArch64 and x86/x86-64.
- Offers plugins for Ghidra and Binary Ninja.
Website: github.com/lief-project/LIEF
Support:
Developer: Romain Thomas
License: Apache License 2.0
LIEF is written in C++ and Rust. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn Rust with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Binary Analysis Tools | |
|---|---|
| Ghidra | Software reverse engineering framework |
| Radare2 | Portable reversing framework |
| Cutter | Graphical reverse engineering platform |
| Capstone | Lightweight multi-architecture disassembly framework |
| Detect it Easy | File inspection utility |
| ImHex | Analyze binary data |
| Miasm | Reverse engineering framework for analysing and emulating binaries |
| Reko | General-purpose decompiler for machine-code binaries |
| capa | Command line malware analysis tool |
| binwalk | Search a given binary image for embedded files |
| FLOSS | FLARE Obfuscated String Solver |
| unblob | Extraction suite for working with unknown binary blobs |
| Rizin | UNIX-like reverse engineering framework |
| REDasm | Cross-platform disassembler with an extensible graphical interface |
| Pharos | Framework for automated static analysis of binary programs |
| LIEF | Work with executable and binary formats |
| RetDec | Retargetable machine-code decompiler |
| knife | Static binary triage, disassembly and vulnerability analysis toolkit |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
 LinuxLinks helps you discover the best free and open source software for Linux. Explore our extensive collection of recommended applications, including alternatives to popular proprietary software.We also publish software reviews, Linux tutorials, hardware reviews, free programming books and articles covering the wider open source community. Browse our Linux resources to discover more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application we haven't covered? Suggest a program for inclusion. Has your software been featured on LinuxLinks? Display one of our Featured on LinuxLinks badges on your website or GitHub README. |
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.