Null pointer read in binutils-2.10.0.33: bfd/elf32-i386.c: elf_i386_relocate_section

[Marco Franzen]

My platform is a GNU/Linux distribution for IA32, SuSE 7.0 
(gcc 2.95.2, glibc 2.1.3).
That system normally comes with binutils-2.9.5, but because the linker crashed,
I gave 2.10.0.33 a try (the source package that comes with SuSE 7.1), 
which crashes the same way.

Unfortunately, I cannot send input files, as Oracle would not allow that.
Here is a short debugger session (sorry for the long lines).

GNU gdb 4.18
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GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and you are
welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under certain conditions.
Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
There is absolutely no warranty for GDB.  Type "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "i386-suse-linux"...
(gdb) run -v -m elf_i386 -dynamic-linker /lib/ld-linux.so.2 -o cpp.e 
/usr/lib/crt1.o /usr/lib/crti.o 
/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-suse-linux/2.95.2/crtbegin.o 
-L/opt/oracle/product/8.1.6/lib/ -L/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-suse-linux/2.95.2 
-L/usr/i486-suse-linux/lib cpp.o 
/home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yes_base/source/library/database_lib/lib_yesdb.a
 /home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yes_base/source/library/task_lib/libtask.a 
-lncurses -lclntsh -ldl -lm -lpthread -ldl -lm 
/home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yesroot_base/yes.gate_root/yes.gate_libs/libyesgate_gen.a
 
/home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yesroot_base/yes.gate_root/yes.gate_libs/libschenh.a
 
/home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yesroot_base/yes.gate_root/yes.gate_libs/libdebug.a
 -lgcc -lc -lgcc /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-suse-linux/2.95.2/crtend.o 
/usr/lib/crtn.o
Starting program: /usr/bin/ld -v -m elf_i386 -dynamic-linker /lib/ld-linux.so.2 
-o cpp.e /usr/lib/crt1.o /usr/lib/crti.o 
/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-suse-linux/2.95.2/crtbegin.o 
-L/opt/oracle/product/8.1.6/lib/ -L/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-suse-linux/2.95.2 
-L/usr/i486-suse-linux/lib cpp.o 
/home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yes_base/source/library/database_lib/lib_yesdb.a
 /home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yes_base/source/library/task_lib/libtask.a 
-lncurses -lclntsh -ldl -lm -lpthread -ldl -lm 
/home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yesroot_base/yes.gate_root/yes.gate_libs/libyesgate_gen.a
 
/home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yesroot_base/yes.gate_root/yes.gate_libs/libschenh.a
 
/home/marcof/YES.pay/yes_products/yesroot_base/yes.gate_root/yes.gate_libs/libdebug.a
 -lgcc -lc -lgcc /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-suse-linux/2.95.2/crtend.o 
/usr/lib/crtn.o
GNU ld version 2.10.91 (with BFD 2.10.0.33)

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
0x8075957 in elf_i386_relocate_section (output_bfd=0x80ee580, info=0x80e6800, 
    input_bfd=0x812b788, input_section=0x8138e64, contents=0x83abe08 "", 
    relocs=0x83c4638, local_syms=0x82ba550, local_sections=0x82ba738)
    at elf32-i386.c:1389
1389              h = sym_hashes[r_symndx - symtab_hdr->sh_info];
(gdb) print sym_hashes[r_symndx - symtab_hdr->sh_info]
Cannot access memory at address 0x2c.
(gdb) print sym_hashes
$4 = (struct elf_link_hash_entry **) 0x0
(gdb) print r_symndx
$5 = 16
(gdb) print symtab_hdr 
$2 = (Elf_Internal_Shdr *) 0x81388e8
(gdb) print symtab_hdr->sh_info
$3 = 5
(gdb) list
1384                            + sec->output_offset
1385                            + sym->st_value);
1386            }
1387          else
1388            {
1389              h = sym_hashes[r_symndx - symtab_hdr->sh_info];  /*<---here*/
1390              while (h->root.type == bfd_link_hash_indirect
1391                     || h->root.type == bfd_link_hash_warning)
1392                h = (struct elf_link_hash_entry *) h->root.u.i.link;
1393              if (h->root.type == bfd_link_hash_defined
(gdb) 

The only slightly unusual thing about the files being linked is 
that functions in a (.a) library make calls to functions (by name) that 
are defined in the main module. 
(No idea what the Oracle library -lclntsh and the pre-compiled 
esql does or whether they contribute to the problem at all.)

Any tip how to locate the problem or any workarounds?

Cheers,

Marco
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