read: error setting terminal attributes: Interrupted system call

[change]

Configuration Information [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: i486
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS:  -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='i486' 
-DCONF_OSTYPE='linux-gnu' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='i486-pc-linux-gnu' 
-DCONF_VENDOR='pc' -DLOCALEDIR='/usr/share/locale' -DPACKAGE='bash' -DSHELL 
-DHAVE_CONFIG_H   -I.  -I../bash -I../bash/include -I../bash/lib   -g -O2 -Wall
uname output: Linux debian1.loaner.com 2.6.25-2-686 #1 SMP Fri Jun 27 03:23:20 
UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux
Machine Type: i486-pc-linux-gnu

Bash Version: 4.0
Patch Level: 33
Release Status: release

Description:
        
    A proprietary script and data usually elcit
    this error

        <script-name>: line 47: read: error setting terminal attributes: 
Interrupted system call
        Combine <text1> and <text2>? [y/n]: n
        malloc: ../../bash/builtins/../../bash/builtins/read.def:675: assertion 
botched
        free: underflow detected; mh_nbytes out of range
        Aborting...<script-name>: line 52: 32293
        Done                    awk -v lower_limit=.921 -v upper_limit=.999 
'{if(lower_limit <= $6 && $6 <= upper_limit) {print}}' 
$variable-containing-file-name
             32294                       | sort -g -k 6
             32295 Aborted                 (core dumped)

Repeat-By:
        
    Run the script and respond to 
    
        read -n 1 -p "Combine $variable1 and $variable2? [y/n]: " < /dev/tty

    by pressing "y" or "n" a few times.