What is the "Break instruction exception" in WinDbg?

Question

I'm debugging some random crash bugs, but actually very difficult to go deep into. Because when i open crash dump, only find one error:

0:000> .exr -1
ExceptionAddress: 00000000
   ExceptionCode: 80000003 (Break instruction exception)
  ExceptionFlags: 00000000
NumberParameters: 0

Actually i haven't set any hard-code breakpoint in code, so i search about this exception in google, some people said this exception may be caused by heap corruption. So my question is, Is there any other reason why cause this exception, except hard-code breakpoint, manual breakpoint while debugging, heap corruption?

Another question is, i try to use Application Verifier to check heap corruption, i understand how does it work, app verifier will trigger break instruction exception while heap corruption. But currently, i run without app verifier, who will raise the break instruction exception?

Additional info: call stack for current thread.

*0:000> k
ChildEBP RetAddr  
0012f96c 7c827d19 ntdll!KiFastSystemCallRet
0012f970 77e6202c ntdll!NtWaitForMultipleObjects+0xc
0012fa18 7739bbd1 kernel32!WaitForMultipleObjectsEx+0x11a
0012fa74 3b288523 user32!RealMsgWaitForMultipleObjectsEx+0x141
0012fab8 3b32b9bd msenv!EnvironmentMsgLoop+0x1ea
0012fae4 3b32b94d msenv!CMsoCMHandler::FPushMessageLoop+0x86
0012fb0c 3b32b8e9 msenv!SCM::FPushMessageLoop+0xb7
0012fb28 3b32b8b8 msenv!SCM_MsoCompMgr::FPushMessageLoop+0x28
0012fb48 3b32be4e msenv!CMsoComponent::PushMsgLoop+0x28
0012fbe0 3b327561 msenv!VStudioMainLogged+0x482
0012fc0c 3000a4a6 msenv!VStudioMain+0xc1
0012fc38 30007301 devenv!util_CallVsMain+0xff
0012ff14 3000760c devenv!CDevEnvAppId::Run+0x91f
0012ff30 30007680 devenv!WinMain+0x74
0012ffc0 77e6f23b devenv!License::GetPID+0x258
0012fff0 00000000 kernel32!BaseProcessStart+0x23*

Our application is a Visual Studio Package.

Below is the result from !analyze -v

0:000> !analyze -v
*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Exception Analysis                                   *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for mscorlib.ni.dll
*************************************************************************
***                                                                   ***
***                                                                   ***
***    Your debugger is not using the correct symbols                 ***
***                                                                   ***
***    In order for this command to work properly, your symbol path   ***
***    must point to .pdb files that have full type information.      ***
***                                                                   ***
***    Certain .pdb files (such as the public OS symbols) do not      ***
***    contain the required information.  Contact the group that      ***
***    provided you with these symbols if you need this command to    ***
***    work.                                                          ***
***                                                                   ***
***    Type referenced: kernel32!pNlsUserInfo                         ***
***                                                                   ***
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***                                                                   ***
***                                                                   ***
***    Your debugger is not using the correct symbols                 ***
***                                                                   ***
***    In order for this command to work properly, your symbol path   ***
***    must point to .pdb files that have full type information.      ***
***                                                                   ***
***    Certain .pdb files (such as the public OS symbols) do not      ***
***    contain the required information.  Contact the group that      ***
***    provided you with these symbols if you need this command to    ***
***    work.                                                          ***
***                                                                   ***
***    Type referenced: kernel32!pNlsUserInfo                         ***
***                                                                   ***
*************************************************************************

FAULTING_IP: 
+0
00000000 ??              ???

EXCEPTION_RECORD:  ffffffff -- (.exr 0xffffffffffffffff)
ExceptionAddress: 00000000
   ExceptionCode: 80000003 (Break instruction exception)
  ExceptionFlags: 00000000
NumberParameters: 0

FAULTING_THREAD:  00001f1c

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  STATUS_BREAKPOINT

PROCESS_NAME:  devenv.exe

ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0x80000003 - {EXCEPTION}  Breakpoint  A breakpoint has been reached.

EXCEPTION_CODE: (HRESULT) 0x80000003 (2147483651) - One or more arguments are invalid

NTGLOBALFLAG:  0

APPLICATION_VERIFIER_FLAGS:  0

MANAGED_STACK: 
SP       IP       Function
    0012E584 09C8A903 Microsoft_VisualStudio_Design!Microsoft.VisualStudio.NativeMethods.ThrowOnFailure(Int32, Int32[])+0x3b
    0012E590 09C8C604 Microsoft_VisualStudio_Design!Microsoft.VisualStudio.Design.VSDesignSurfaceManager.Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsSelectionEvents.OnElementValueChanged(UInt32, System.Object, System.Object)+0x144

StackTraceString: <none>
HResult: 80004005

EXCEPTION_OBJECT: !pe 3115d464
Exception object: 3115d464
Exception type: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException
Message: Error HRESULT E_FAIL has been returned from a call to a COM component.
InnerException: <none>
StackTrace (generated):
    SP       IP       Function
    0012E584 09C8A903 Microsoft_VisualStudio_Design!Microsoft.VisualStudio.NativeMethods.ThrowOnFailure(Int32, Int32[])+0x3b
    0012E590 09C8C604 Microsoft_VisualStudio_Design!Microsoft.VisualStudio.Design.VSDesignSurfaceManager.Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsSelectionEvents.OnElementValueChanged(UInt32, System.Object, System.Object)+0x144

StackTraceString: <none>
HResult: 80004005

MANAGED_OBJECT: !dumpobj 3201988
Name: System.String
MethodTable: 79330a00
EEClass: 790ed64c
Size: 158(0x9e) bytes
 (C:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC_32\mscorlib\2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089\mscorlib.dll)
String: Error HRESULT E_FAIL has been returned from a call to a COM component.
Fields:
      MT    Field   Offset                 Type VT     Attr    Value Name
79332c4c  4000096        4         System.Int32  1 instance       71 m_arrayLength
79332c4c  4000097        8         System.Int32  1 instance       70 m_stringLength
793316e0  4000098        c          System.Char  1 instance       45 m_firstChar
79330a00  4000099       10        System.String  0   shared   static Empty
    >> Domain:Value  00219c28:03031198 <<
79331630  400009a       14        System.Char[]  0   shared   static WhitespaceChars
    >> Domain:Value  00219c28:03031798 <<

EXCEPTION_MESSAGE:  Error HRESULT E_FAIL has been returned from a call to a COM component.

MANAGED_OBJECT_NAME:  System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException

LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER:  from 7c827d19 to 7c82860c

PRIMARY_PROBLEM_CLASS:  STATUS_BREAKPOINT

BUGCHECK_STR:  APPLICATION_FAULT_STATUS_BREAKPOINT

STACK_TEXT:  
09c8a903 Microsoft_VisualStudio_Design!Microsoft.VisualStudio.NativeMethods.ThrowOnFailure
09c8c604 Microsoft_VisualStudio_Design!Microsoft.VisualStudio.Design.VSDesignSurfaceManager.Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsSelectionEvents.OnElementValueChanged


STACK_COMMAND:  dds 12e584 ; kb

FOLLOWUP_IP: 
+9c8a903
09c8a903 8bc6            mov     eax,esi

SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX:  0

SYMBOL_NAME:  Microsoft_VisualStudio_Design!Microsoft.VisualStudio.NativeMethods.ThrowOnFailure+9c8a903

FOLLOWUP_NAME:  MachineOwner

MODULE_NAME: Microsoft_VisualStudio_Design

IMAGE_NAME:  Microsoft.VisualStudio.Design.dll

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP:  0

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  STATUS_BREAKPOINT_80000003_Microsoft.VisualStudio.Design.dll!Microsoft.VisualStudio.NativeMethods.ThrowOnFailure

BUCKET_ID:  APPLICATION_FAULT_STATUS_BREAKPOINT_Microsoft_VisualStudio_Design!Microsoft.VisualStudio.NativeMethods.ThrowOnFailure+9c8a903

Followup: MachineOwner

...

In the managed stack, there is a explicit error,Microsoft.VisualStudio.NativeMethods.ThrowOnFailure.. But that means the com exception cause the break instruction exception?

!analyze seems just dump the managed level, the com exception maybe the last error in the managed level.

I also search something about interrupt and exception from google, Normally, the break instruction exception can be triggered in following conditions: 1. Hardcode interrupt request, like: __asm int 3 (ASM), System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break (C#), DebugBreak() (WinAPI). 2. OS enable memory runtime check, like Application Verifier can trigger after heap corruption, memory overrun. 3. Compiler can have some configuration to enble what should be filled for the uninitialized memory block and end of function(blank area, after retun..). For example, Microsoft VC complier can fill 0xCC if enable /GZ. 0xCC is actually a opcode of __asm int 3. So if some error cause the application run into such block, will trigger a break point.

Correct?

If that, I think Application Verifier should be best choice to find the root cause.

Answer 1

For future reference, the Your debugger is not using the correct symbols warning is caused because you need to add Windows symbols to the Windbg symbols path. Here is how to do that:

Set Microsoft symbol server path automatically:

0:000> .symfix

Optionally you can specify an additional location where to download symbol from, e.g.:

0:000> .sympath+ c:\myproject

Check current symbol search path:

0:000> .sympath 

You should see something like this:

SRV**http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

Reload symbols:

0:000> .reload 

Then, you will be able to see information about the current exception using this command:

0:000> !analyze -v

You should see a line similar to the following:

ExceptionCode: c0000005 (Access violation)

Good luck fixing bugs!

Answer 2

The command to use to find the exception that caused the crash dump is .ecxr. The outpt you got from .exr -1 is incorrect as the ExceptionAddress is zero.