Re: [boost] [Serialization] Bizarre bug

Subject: Re: [boost] [Serialization] Bizarre bug
From: troy d. straszheim (troy_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-08-03 13:51:39

Jarl Lindrud wrote:
> There is a rather bizarre bug in Boost.Serialization, that was 
> reported on this list three years ago:
> 
> http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.boost.devel/147010/match=serialization
>  +bizarre+bug
> 
> To sum up, a piece of code that is never even executed, is causing a 
> serialization error in a different part of the program.
> 
> Unfortunately it seems that this bug was never fixed - I just tried 
> it on Boost 1.39.0, and the bug is still there.
> 
> Any chance something can be done about it?
> 
> For reference, here is the sample program that reproduces the issue:
> 

Looks like UB to me.  From the C++ standard:

Note: in particular, a null reference cannot exist in a well-defined
program, because the only way to create such a reference would be to
bind it to the "object" obtained by dereferencing a null pointer,
which causes undefined behavior. (§ 8.3.2, ¶ 4)

There is plenty of stuff out on the net about this; I find this thread
pretty entertaining:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1110111/what-part-of-dereferencing-null-pointers-causes-undesired-behavior/1110146#1110146

-t