diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index c26e65761048dbdea91ff5417f837f2a50b670e1..07ed61173819c6cf4f4a5ee884bb763eebcb872c 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -3228,8 +3228,12 @@ static int bpf_object__elf_collect(struct bpf_object *obj)
 		} else if (strcmp(name, MAPS_ELF_SEC) == 0) {
 			obj->efile.btf_maps_shndx = idx;
 		} else if (strcmp(name, BTF_ELF_SEC) == 0) {
+			if (sh->sh_type != SHT_PROGBITS)
+				return -LIBBPF_ERRNO__FORMAT;
 			btf_data = data;
 		} else if (strcmp(name, BTF_EXT_ELF_SEC) == 0) {
+			if (sh->sh_type != SHT_PROGBITS)
+				return -LIBBPF_ERRNO__FORMAT;
 			btf_ext_data = data;
 		} else if (sh->sh_type == SHT_SYMTAB) {
 			/* already processed during the first pass above */