High CPU and memory with GDB

Environment

• OS and version: Windows 11
• VS Code: 1.78.2
• C/C++ extension: 1.16.0 & 1.15.4
• OS and version of remote machine CENTOS 7.9.2009
• GDB / LLDB version: GNU gdb (GDB) Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.2-6.el7

Bug Summary and Steps to Reproduce

Bug Summary:
Debug my executable, before it even breaks in main or loads any symbols it spins for minutes at 100% CPU while allocating a ton of memory. Stepping through is very slow also. Using gdb from the command line is very fast, however a suboptimal experience. I have tried it with the system gdb also. I see the same behavior

Debugger Configurations

launch.json

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "(gdb) Launch",
            "type": "cppdbg",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/Debug/bin/Debug/dds_worker",
            "args": ["--no-heartbeats"],
            "stopAtEntry": true,
            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/DDS/dds",
            "environment": [],
            "miDebuggerPath": "/opt/rh/devtoolset-11/root/usr/bin/gdb",
            "externalConsole": false,
            "MIMode": "gdb",
            "setupCommands": [
                {
                    "description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb",
                    "text": "-enable-pretty-printing",
                    "ignoreFailures": true
                },
                {
                    "description": "Enable break on all exceptions",
                    "text": "catch throw",
                    "ignoreFailures": true
                }
        
            ]
        }

    ]
}

Debugger Logs

There's a lot of lines, but most look like
1: (111798) <-1017-symbol-list-lines /home/dev/scratch/connector.cpp
--> E (output): {"type":"event","event":"output","body":{"category":"console","output":"1: (111802) 1013: elapsed time 103627\n"},"seq":226}
1: (111802) 1013: elapsed time 103627

Other Extensions

No response

Additional Information

No response

Start with the launch.json configuration and the debugger logs showing repeated symbol-list-lines requests; reproduce the launch and compare VS Code's behavior with command-line GDB. Trace the symbol-loading and stepping path implicated by those requests. Done means debugging no longer spends minutes at 100% CPU or allocates excessive memory before main, and stepping is responsive.