apache / apache/arrow-java

Java compression codecs do not release compressed ArrowBuf in decompress, causing allocator leaks

Open
#1,037 0 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
Type: bug
Dominant language
Java
Stars
94
Forks
152
Avg merge
3d 16h
Merged PRs (30d)
11

Description

### bug
When using Arrow Java’s compression codecs (e.g. ZSTD) from downstream projects, we observed that an OutOfMemoryError: Direct buffer memory during decompression can leave the associated BufferAllocator in a leaked state (its allocated memory never returns to zero after the failing operation).

In our case this surfaced in Apache Fluss (see [apache/fluss#2646](https://github.com/apache/fluss/issues/2646)), but after investigation the root cause appears to be in Arrow Java’s compression codec implementation:

Image

### version
18.3.0

### Solve
In the original Arrow implementation, the decompression loop runs outside the try-finally block that guards loadFieldBuffers. This means if decompression succeeds for the first N buffers of a field but fails on the (N+1)-th buffer, the already-decompressed buffers in ownBuffers are never closed, leaking Direct Memory.

To fix it, move the decompression loop inside the try block so that the finally clause always closes every buffer in ownBuffers, regardless of whether the load succeeds or fails:
* Success path: loadFieldBuffers retains each buffer (ref count +1), then the finally close decrements it back (ref count -1). The field vector still holds the buffer.
* Error path: The finally close decrements each already-decompressed buffer's ref count to 0, immediately freeing the Direct Memory.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Locate the compression codec decompression path containing loadFieldBuffers, the decompression loop, and ownBuffers. Move the loop under the existing try-finally cleanup, then verify that a failure after earlier buffers decompress leaves the BufferAllocator at zero allocated memory while the success path still retains buffers in the field vector.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
java
Domain
data
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
55/100

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.