sdk/elf-dissector/README.md

0001 # ELF Dissector
0002
0003 Static analysis tool for ELF libraries and executables.
0004
0005 ## Main Use-Cases
0006
0007 ELF Dissector is useful if you need to do one or more of the following tasks:
0008
0009 * Inspecting forward and backward dependencies, on library and symbol level.
0010 * Identifying load-time performance bottlenecks such as expensive static constructors or excessive relocations.
0011 * Size profiling of ELF files.
0012
0013 ## Features
0014
0015 * ELF structure browser.
0016 * Tree map visualization of the size of the various parts of an ELF file.
0017 * Relocation heatmap.
0018 * Built-in disassmbler for x86 and AArch64.
0019 * Browser for data type memory layouts extracted from DWARF debug information.
0020 * Forward and backward dependency viewer.
0021
0022 ## Esoteric/experimental features
0023
0024 ELF Dissector also doubles as a research platform for more experimental work around ELF files and loading/dynamic linking. Some of this is only available in CLI tools. Use at your own risk.
0025
0026 * Identifying sub-optimal struct packing.
0027 * Optimizing dependency order by lookup hit rate probability.
0028 * Identifying duplicate vtable or typeinfo emission.
0029 * Loading/dynamic linking profiler.
0030 * Identifying unused symbols in a set of ELF files.