Hasty Briefsbeta

  • #memory-leak
  • #VS-Code
  • #Windows
  • A memory leak in VS Code was discovered in 2021, consuming around 64 GB initially with no upper limit.
  • The leak was invisible in Task Manager and found by someone who had never used VS Code.
  • Discovery occurred during a pair-programming session when unusual seven-digit process IDs were noticed.
  • Windows process IDs (PIDs) are multiples of four; high PIDs indicated a process-handle leak.
  • A missing CloseHandle call in VS Code's code led to the leak, wasting ~64 KiB per leaked handle.
  • The bug was quickly fixed after being reported, highlighting the importance of proper resource management.
  • Suggests implementing resource limits in software to automatically detect and prevent such leaks.