Files
json/docs
Niels Lohmann 71f3554243 Document that update() and merge_patch() must not alias *this
update() and merge_patch() read their argument while they modify
*this. When the argument is *this or a value nested inside *this
(for example a subobject returned by operator[]), the modification
destroys or relocates the value while it is still being iterated,
so the functions read freed memory or dereference invalidated
iterators (heap-use-after-free, or an uncaught invalid_iterator.214
for update()). This reproduces with plain std::map-backed json and,
for update() on ordered_json, also via reallocation of the
underlying vector.

A fix would require copying the argument whenever it may alias
*this, which cannot be checked in constant time without parent
pointers (only available under JSON_DIAGNOSTICS), and would cost an
unconditional deep copy per call otherwise. The maintainer decided
to document the restriction instead of changing the library.

Add a "Notes" section with a "!!! danger" admonition to
update.md and merge_patch.md explaining that the argument must not
be *this or refer into *this, and showing the workaround of passing
a copy, e.g. j.update(json(j["a"])) and j.merge_patch(json(j)).

Fixes #5641.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
2026-09-29 23:14:33 +02:00
..
2026-09-27 16:56:21 +02:00
2025-04-11 10:41:14 +02:00
2025-04-11 10:41:14 +02:00
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