Unified abstraction
Work with symbols, sections, relocations, and entry points through shared concepts across executable formats.
New
LIEF 1.0.0 is available
Parse, inspect, modify, and build ELF, PE, Mach-O, and more through one consistent C++, Python, or Rust API.
Apache-2.0 Cross-platform
ELF
PE
Mach-O
DWARF
PDB
Disassembler
Assembler
Multilayer Library
10+years of continuous development
1,000,000+installs every month
One Library. Every Layer.
Move from raw executable file formats to a high-level representation, make changes, then write a valid binary back to disk.
Parse and inspect
Open binaries from files or memory and explore their structure.
Modify and rebuild
Add sections, change symbols, patch metadata, and serialize the result.
Binary inspection in a few lines.
The same concepts stay the same whether you work in Python, C++, or Rust.
01
Cross-format
Start with a generic binary.
02
Typed and discoverable
Use the object model.
03
Ready to rewrite
Turn inspection code into transformation code.
01import lief
02
03# Parse ELF, PE, or Mach-O with one entry point
04binary = lief.parse("/usr/bin/ssh")
05
06print(binary.format)
07print(hex(binary.entrypoint))
08
09for section in binary.sections:
10 print(section.name, section.size)
11
12# Modify and write a new binary
13binary.header.entrypoint = 0x401000
14binary.write("ssh.patched")LIEF Modification.
import lief
elf = lief.ELF.parse("demo.elf")
assert elf is not NoneParsed executableELF64 · x86-64
entry 0x401070Pipeline
Python · x86-64 ELF
API noteDisassembly and assembly are LIEF Extended capabilities. The mutation and rebuild stages use the open-source core API.
Beyond File Formats
Advanced assembly, disassembly, DWARF and PDB tooling build on the same familiar LIEF model for enhanced binary reverse engineering workflows.
Assembler
Assemble x86-64, ARM64, RISC-V instructions directly from the API.
Disassembler
Decode machine code and connect instructions to executable metadata.
DWARF editor
Inspect and transform rich debug information with structured APIs.
PDB support
Work with Microsoft program databases alongside the binary they describe.
Quansight supports LIEF's continued development.
Meet QuansightSupport.
Sponsorship gives LIEF maintainers time to fix bugs, keep up with new toolchains and OS releases, and work on new features.
- Back long-term open-source maintenance
- Fund public or private feature development
- Help prioritize features and needs
Blog
Release notes, format deep dives, and engineering stories from the project.
LIEF v1.0.0
LIEF 1.0.0: a new cross-platform Runtime API, faster Rust bindings, stable-ABI and free-threaded Python wheels
Read article
LIEF v0.17.0
LIEF 0.17.0: Binary Ninja and Ghidra plugins, contextual assembly patching, a refactored PE module with TLS, import, and export editing, lief-patchelf, and …
Read article
LIEF patchelf
lief-patchelf: a LIEF-based reimplementation of NixOS patchelf to change the interpreter, add dependencies, and edit RPATH/RUNPATH, with prebuilt binaries.
Read article