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GeezerVison is showing github.com — Soundness: try/catch is checked as if the catch block always runs · Issue #364 · liquid-java/liquidjava

Soundness: try/catch is checked as if the catch block always runs #364

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Soundness: try/catch is checked as if the catch block always runs#364
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@CatarinaGamboa
CatarinaGamboa
opened on Oct 7, 2026
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Impact: a real bug passes verification (false negative).

Description

The verifier checks try and catch blocks one after the other, so after a try/catch a variable keeps whatever the catch block last assigned. The path where the try finishes normally is lost. An if/else instead merges both branches after the join, and try/catch should be merged the same way.

Also, an exception can be thrown at any point in the try. The catch block should therefore not assume the try ran to completion, or that it never ran at all.

Minimal reproducer

import liquidjava.specification.ExternalRefinementsFor;
import liquidjava.specification.StateRefinement;
import liquidjava.specification.StateSet;

@ExternalRefinementsFor("java.lang.Throwable")
@StateSet({"withThrowable", "noThrowable"})
interface ThrowableRefinements {
    @StateRefinement(to = "noThrowable(this)")
    void Throwable(String message);

    @StateRefinement(to = "withThrowable(this)")
    void Throwable(String message, Throwable cause);

    @StateRefinement(from = "noThrowable(this)", to = "withThrowable(this)")
    Throwable initCause(Throwable cause);
}

public class Repro {
    static void load() throws Exception { throw new Exception("x"); }

    static void m() {
        Throwable t = new Throwable("start");
        try {
            load();
            t = new Throwable("try", new RuntimeException()); // withThrowable
        } catch (Exception e) {
            t = new Throwable("catch");                       // noThrowable
        }
        t.initCause(new RuntimeException()); // not reported, but t is withThrowable if load() returns
    }
}

Expected: a State Refinement Error on t.initCause(...), because t may be withThrowable.

Actual: Correct! Passed Verification.

Same bug with value refinements

static void m() {
    int y = 0;
    try {
        load();
        y = -5;
    } catch (Exception e) {
        y = 7;
    }
    @Refinement("_ > 0")
    int z = y; // not reported, but y == -5 if load() returns
}

Actual: Correct! Passed Verification. If the values are swapped (5 in the try, -5 in the catch), the error is reported, but as z == -5 is not a subtype of z > 0: only the catch path is considered.

Found while reviewing #362 (catch parameters, #333).

Activity

  1. CatarinaGamboa
    added
    bugSomething isn't workingSomething isn't working
    on Oct 7, 2026
  2. CatarinaGamboa
    added 3 commits that reference this issue on Oct 7, 2026

    Combine try, catch and finally blocks soundly (#364)

    4340fb3

    Combine try, catch and finally blocks soundly (#364)

    6559819

    Combine try, catch and finally blocks soundly (#366)

    dcfc4eb
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