diff --git a/crates/molotov-core/src/elf.rs b/crates/molotov-core/src/elf.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..177c621
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/molotov-core/src/elf.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+use thiserror::Error;
+
+#[derive(Error, Debug)]
+pub enum ElfError {
+    #[error("File is smaller than minimum ELF64 header (64 bytes)")]
+    TooSmall,
+    #[error("Invalid ELF magic header: expected 0x7F 'ELF'")]
+    InvalidMagic,
+    #[error("Unsupported ELF class: expected 64-bit")]
+    UnsupportedClass,
+    #[error("Unsupported endianness: expected Little Endian")]
+    UnsupportedEndianness,
+    #[error("Unsupported architecture: expected x86_64 (62), found {0}")]
+    UnsupportedMachine(u16),
+    #[error("Invalid ELF type: expected ET_DYN (3), found {0}")]
+    UnsupportedType(u16),
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct ProgramHeader {
+    pub p_type: u32,
+    pub p_flags: u32,
+    pub p_offset: u64,
+    pub p_vaddr: u64,
+    pub p_paddr: u64,
+    pub p_filesz: u64,
+    pub p_memsz: u64,
+    pub p_align: u64,
+}
+
+pub const PT_LOAD: u32 = 1;
+pub const PT_DYNAMIC: u32 = 2;
+pub const PT_TLS: u32 = 7;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct ElfBinary<'a> {
+    pub raw: &'a [u8],
+    pub entry_point: u64,
+    pub program_headers: Vec<ProgramHeader>,
+}
+
+impl<'a> ElfBinary<'a> {
+    pub fn parse(bytes: &'a [u8]) -> Result<Self, ElfError> {
+        if bytes.len() < 64 {
+            return Err(ElfError::TooSmall);
+        }
+
+        if &bytes[0..4] != b"\x7fELF" {
+            return Err(ElfError::InvalidMagic);
+        }
+
+        if bytes[4] != 2 {
+            return Err(ElfError::UnsupportedClass);
+        }
+
+        if bytes[5] != 1 {
+            return Err(ElfError::UnsupportedEndianness);
+        }
+
+        let e_type = u16::from_le_bytes([bytes[16], bytes[17]]);
+        if e_type != 3 {
+            return Err(ElfError::UnsupportedType(e_type));
+        }
+
+        let e_machine = u16::from_le_bytes([bytes[18], bytes[19]]);
+        if e_machine != 62 {
+            return Err(ElfError::UnsupportedMachine(e_machine));
+        }
+
+        let entry_point = u64::from_le_bytes(bytes[24..32].try_into().unwrap());
+        let phoff = u64::from_le_bytes(bytes[32..40].try_into().unwrap()) as usize;
+        let phentsize = u16::from_le_bytes([bytes[54], bytes[55]]) as usize;
+        let phnum = u16::from_le_bytes([bytes[56], bytes[57]]) as usize;
+
+        let mut program_headers = Vec::with_capacity(phnum);
+
+        if phnum > 0 && phentsize >= 56 {
+            for i in 0..phnum {
+                let offset = phoff + i * phentsize;
+                if offset + 56 <= bytes.len() {
+                    let ph = ProgramHeader {
+                        p_type: u32::from_le_bytes(bytes[offset..offset + 4].try_into().unwrap()),
+                        p_flags: u32::from_le_bytes(bytes[offset + 4..offset + 8].try_into().unwrap()),
+                        p_offset: u64::from_le_bytes(bytes[offset + 8..offset + 16].try_into().unwrap()),
+                        p_vaddr: u64::from_le_bytes(bytes[offset + 16..offset + 24].try_into().unwrap()),
+                        p_paddr: u64::from_le_bytes(bytes[offset + 24..offset + 32].try_into().unwrap()),
+                        p_filesz: u64::from_le_bytes(bytes[offset + 32..offset + 40].try_into().unwrap()),
+                        p_memsz: u64::from_le_bytes(bytes[offset + 40..offset + 48].try_into().unwrap()),
+                        p_align: u64::from_le_bytes(bytes[offset + 48..offset + 56].try_into().unwrap()),
+                    };
+                    program_headers.push(ph);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            raw: bytes,
+            entry_point,
+            program_headers,
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn load_segments(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &ProgramHeader> {
+        self.program_headers.iter().filter(|ph| ph.p_type == PT_LOAD)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/molotov-core/src/lib.rs b/crates/molotov-core/src/lib.rs
index 864cee8..85c0939 100644
--- a/crates/molotov-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/molotov-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+pub mod elf;
 pub mod symbols;
diff --git a/crates/molotov-core/tests/elf_parser_test.rs b/crates/molotov-core/tests/elf_parser_test.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f0bf0f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/molotov-core/tests/elf_parser_test.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+use molotov_core::elf::ElfBinary;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_rejects_non_elf_magic() {
+    let dummy = b"NOT_AN_ELF_BINARY";
+    let res = ElfBinary::parse(dummy);
+    assert!(res.is_err(), "Must reject files without 0x7F 'E' 'L' 'F' magic header");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_parses_valid_minimal_elf64() {
+    let mut header = vec![0u8; 64];
+    // e_ident
+    header[0..4].copy_from_slice(b"\x7fELF");
+    header[4] = 2; // ELFCLASS64
+    header[5] = 1; // ELFDATA2LSB (little endian)
+    header[6] = 1; // EV_CURRENT
+    // e_type = ET_DYN (3)
+    header[16] = 3;
+    // e_machine = EM_X86_64 (62)
+    header[18] = 62;
+    // e_phentsize = 56
+    header[54] = 56;
+
+    let res = ElfBinary::parse(&header);
+    assert!(res.is_ok(), "Valid minimal ELF64 dynamic library header must be accepted");
+}