---
name: "gelf_offscn"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libelf"
version: "0.197-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gelf_offscn"
---

# gelf\_offscn(3)

return descriptor for an ELF section at a given file offset

## NAME

gelf\_offscn - return descriptor for an ELF section at a given file offset

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <gelf.h>
Elf_Scn *gelf_offscn(Elf *elf, GElf_Off offset);
```

## DESCRIPTION

**gelf\_offscn**() retrieves the section descriptor for the non-empty section with **sh\_offset** equal to *offset*. This function will not return descriptors for **SHT\_NOBITS** sections since they are empty by definition.

## PARAMETERS

- *elf*

  Pointer to an ELF descriptor with kind **ELF\_K\_ELF**.

- *offset*

  The file offset (in bytes) of the section to be retrieved.

## RETURN VALUE

On success, **gelf\_offscn**() returns a pointer to the *Elf\_Scn* of the non-empty section with a sh\_offset matching *offset*.

On failure, **NULL** is returned and elf\_errno is set to indicate the error.  If *elf* is NULL, then NULL is returned without setting elf\_errno.

## SEE ALSO

[**elf32\_offscn**(3)](/elf32_offscn/3.md), [**elf64\_offscn**(3)](/elf64_offscn/3.md), [**libelf**(3)](/libelf/3.md), [**elf**(5)](/elf/5.md)

## ATTRIBUTES

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Interface** | **Attribute** | **Value** |
| **gelf\_offscn**() | Thread safety | MT-Safe |

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<elfutils-devel@sourceware.org\> or https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/.

HISTORY **gelf\_offscn** first appeared in elfutils 0.112. This elfutils libelf function may not be found in other libelf implementations.