Explaining ELF files
Many engineers think that the Executable and Linkable Format (ELF) is a format only for executable files and that it has been native to the Unix world from the very beginning. The truth is that it was accepted as a default binary format for both Unix and Unix-like systems only around 20 years ago, in 1999. Another interesting point is that it is also used in shared libraries, core dumps, and object modules. As a result, the common file extensions for ELF files include .so, .ko, .o, and .mod. It might also be a surprise for analysts who mainly work with Windows systems and are used to .exe files that one of the most common file extensions for ELF executables is, in fact, not having any.
ELF files can also be found on multiple embedded systems and game consoles (for example, PlayStation and Wii), as well as mobile phones. For example, in modern Android, as part of Android Runtime (ART), applications are compiled or translated into ELF files as well.
