FIX: The vfork, popen and Related Functions Cause Memory Fault in Interix Parent Process

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This article was previously published under Q328684

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SYMPTOMS

In an Interix process that uses shared memory system calls (such as the shmget() function), the parent process crashes after using vfork(). This occurs regardless of how the vfork() function is called: directly, or called by another function, such as popen().

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CAUSE

When the child process that is created by vfork() exits, the child process unmaps address spaces that were allocated by the parent process. The parent process crashes if it references the unmapped memory after the child process exits.

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RESOLUTION

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that this article describes. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support)

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date        Time   Size      File name
   --------------------------------------
   26-Sep-2002 12:45    646,656 Psxss.exe
   26-Sep-2002 12:45  3,163,136 Psxss.pdb

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