[bug] libpython exports some symbols that are very likely to conflict with user programs, such as my_free, mystrdup

[peryliu]

• libpython from os package manager doesn't export symbols like my_free and my_strdup
• libpython from python-build-standalone exports my_*

[geofft]

Thanks for reporting! This is #721.

Is there a concrete case where this is causing you issues, or just theoretical?

[peryliu]

@geofft
This issue affects me in a production environment.
Symbol conflict between MySQL component module and libpython causes crash.

Background:

• MySQL’s component module defines symbols such as my_malloc, my_free.
• mysqld loads the component with dlopen.
• libpython also exports a symbol named my_free.

Steps to Reproduce:

• I link mysqld against libpython.
• Start mysqld and load a MySQL component.

Actual Result:
The component calls my_free from libpython instead of MySQL’s implementation, which leads to a crash.

Expected Result:
The component should call the intended my_free from MySQL, avoiding symbol conflicts with libpython.

[geofft]

Ooof, okay, good reason to prioritize it. Thanks!

[geofft]

This should be resolved in the 20250814 release (from Thursday).