---
name: "elf_memory"
section: "3"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/elf_memory"
---

# elf\_memory(3)

process an ELF or ar(1) archive mapped into memory

## NAME

**elf\_memory** – process an ELF or [ar(1)](/ar/1.md) archive mapped into memory

## LIBRARY

library “libelf”

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<libelf.h\>**

*Elf \**\

**elf\_memory**(*char \*image*, *size\_t size*);

## DESCRIPTION

Function **elf\_memory**() is used to process an ELF file or [ar(1)](/ar/1.md) archive whose image is present in memory.

Argument *image* points to the start of the memory image of the file or archive. Argument *size* contains the size in bytes of the memory image.

The ELF descriptor is created for reading (i.e., analogous to the use of [elf\_begin(3)](/elf_begin/3.md) with a command argument value of ELF\_C\_READ).

## RETURN VALUES

Function **elf\_memory**() returns a pointer to a new ELF descriptor if successful, or NULL if an error occurred.

The return value may be queried for the file type using [elf\_kind(3)](/elf_kind/3.md).

## EXAMPLES

To read parse an elf file, use:

```
int fd;
void *p;
struct stat sb;
Elf *e;
...
if ((fd = open("./elf-file", O_RDONLY)) < 0 ||
    fstat(fd, &sb) < 0 ||
    (p = mmap(NULL, sb.st_size, PROT_READ, MAP_PRIVATE, fd, (off_t) 0)) ==
    MAP_FAILED) {
	... handle system error ...
}
if ((e = elf_memory(p, sb.st_size)) == NULL) {
	... handle elf(3) error ...
}
... use ELF descriptor "e" here ...
```

## ERRORS

Function **elf\_memory**() can fail with the following errors:

- \[ELF\_E\_ARGUMENT\]

  A NULL value was used for argument *image* or the value of argument *sz* was zero.

- \[ELF\_E\_HEADER\]

  The header of the ELF object contained an unsupported value in its *e\_ident\[EI\_CLASS\]* field.

- \[ELF\_E\_HEADER\]

  The header of the ELF object contained an unsupported value in its *e\_ident\[EI\_DATA\]* field.

- \[ELF\_E\_RESOURCE\]

  An out of memory condition was detected.

- \[ELF\_E\_SEQUENCE\]

  Function **elf\_memory**() was called before a working version was set using [elf\_version(3)](/elf_version/3.md).

- \[ELF\_E\_VERSION\]

  The ELF object referenced by argument *image* was of an unsupported ELF version.

## SEE ALSO

[elf(3)](/elf/3.md), [elf\_begin(3)](/elf_begin/3.md), [elf\_end(3)](/elf_end/3.md), [elf\_errno(3)](/elf_errno/3.md), [elf\_kind(3)](/elf_kind/3.md), [gelf(3)](/gelf/3.md)