In-depth Understanding of eBPF-based C/C++ Memory Leak Analysis
For C/C++ programmers, memory leak is a perennial issue. There are many methods to troubleshoot memory leaks, such as using tools like valgrind, gdb, asan, tsan, etc., but each of these tools has its limitations. For example, valgrind slows down program execution, gdb requires understanding of the code and manual breakpoint setting, while asan and tsan require recompiling the program. For complex services that are already running, these methods are not very convenient.
Fortunately, with eBPF, we can analyze memory leak problems without recompiling the program and with minimal impact on program execution speed. The power of eBPF is evident, but eBPF is not a silver bullet. There are still many issues to be resolved when using it to analyze memory leaks. This article will discuss the common problems encountered in eBPF-based detection.