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"git branch HEAD" dumps core when on detached head (NULL pointer dereference)

From
Per Cederqvist <cederp@opera.com>
Date
Feb 21, 2013, 12:27 UTC
Message-ID
<512612AD.4000609@opera.com>

Running "git branch HEAD" may be a stupid thing to do. It actually was a mistake on my part. Still, I don't think git should dereference a NULL pointer.

Tested using git 1.8.1.4 adn 1.8.1.1.
Repeat by:
     mkdir branchcrash || exit 1
     cd branchcrash
     git init
     touch a; git add a; git commit -m"Added a".
     touch b; git add b; git commit -m"Added b".
     git checkout HEAD^
     git branch HEAD
The last command dumps core.  gdb session:

gdb /usr/local/bin/git core GNU gdb (Ubuntu/Linaro 7.4-2012.04-0ubuntu2.1) 7.4-2012.04 Copyright (C) 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html> This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Type "show copying" and "show warranty" for details. This GDB was configured as "x86_64-linux-gnu". For bug reporting instructions, please see: <http://bugs.launchpad.net/gdb-linaro/>... Reading symbols from /usr/local/bin/git...done. [New LWP 7174]

warning: Can't read pathname for load map: Input/output error.
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
Using host libthread_db library "/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libthread_db.so.1".
Core was generated by `git branch HEAD'.
Program terminated with signal 11, Segmentation fault.
#0  cmd_branch (argc=1, argv=0x7fffe6e2a0f0, prefix=<optimized out>)
     at builtin/branch.c:919
919			strbuf_addf(&buf, "refs/remotes/%s", branch->name);
(gdb) bt
#0  cmd_branch (argc=1, argv=0x7fffe6e2a0f0, prefix=<optimized out>)
     at builtin/branch.c:919
#1  0x00000000004046ac in run_builtin (argv=0x7fffe6e2a0f0, argc=2,
     p=<optimized out>) at git.c:273
#2  handle_internal_command (argc=2, argv=0x7fffe6e2a0f0) at git.c:434
#3  0x0000000000404df3 in run_argv (argv=0x7fffe6e29f90, 
argcp=0x7fffe6e29f9c)
     at git.c:480
#4  main (argc=2, argv=0x7fffe6e2a0f0) at git.c:555
(gdb) p branch
$1 = (struct branch *) 0x0
(gdb) quit
     /ceder
Next: Duy Nguyen
Message 1 of 10 in “"git branch HEAD" dumps core when on detached head (NULL pointer dereference)”
  1. Per CederqvistFeb 21, 2013
  2. Duy NguyenFeb 21, 2013
  3. Per CederqvistFeb 21, 2013
  4. Duy NguyenFeb 21, 2013
  5. branch: segfault fixes and validationNguyễn Thái Ngọc Duy, Feb 21, 2013
  6. Junio C HamanoFeb 21, 2013
  7. branch: segfault fixes and validationNguyễn Thái Ngọc Duy, Feb 22, 2013
  8. Junio C HamanoFeb 22, 2013
  9. branch: segfault fixes and validationNguyễn Thái Ngọc Duy, Feb 23, 2013
  10. Junio C HamanoFeb 23, 2013

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