PI66564: INFINITE LOOP WHILE EXIT() HANDLING

COBOL for AIX Fix Pack 14 (August 2016 PTF) for 4.1.1
COBOL for AIX Fix Pack 15 (August 2017 PTF) for 4.1.1
COBOL for AIX Fix Pack 16 (July 2018 PTF) for 4.1.1

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• A DB2/CICS setup which makes use of the atexit()
  routine shows a loop and stays active in the 'ps' output.
  
  The issue is that the signal handler tries to write a message,
  and that SEGVs; as we have already deleted the RTE data areas.
  So the signal handler gets control again, and we wind up in an
  infinite loop.
  
  As a result, even after the application issues a SEGV, it still
  appears in the ps output.
  

Local fix

• N/A
  

Problem summary

• USERS AFFECTED:
  COBOL users with DB2, Oracle SQL or DB2 file system usage maybe
  affected by this issue.
  
  PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
  COBOL used to panic and simply abort when it caught a signal.
  This meant files were not closed, and other things did not get
  cleaned up.  We fixed that
  in an earlier PTF, but now see failures during atexit() handling
  due to the compiler not having removed the signal handlers.
  
  The erroneous user application build causes the C RTE atexit()
  handling to either SIGILL or SIGSEGV, depending upon a variety
  of conditions. That caused entry to the signal handler (that
  should have been removed), but there is no longer a COBOL RTE,
  so we fault again; and the cycle repeats itself.
  

Problem conclusion

• The signal hanlders are now properly removed during termination.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

  PI70823

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  COBOL FOR AIX

• Fixed component ID

  5724Z8700

Applicable component levels

• R411 PSY

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