Subject: [PATCH v2] transport-helper, connect: add atexit handler to reap children on abnormal exit

From: Andrew Au <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:20:21 +0000

When git exits via exit(128) on transport errors, child processes
(git-remote-https, ssh, proxy) are never waited on because the normal
cleanup paths (disconnect_helper, finish_connect) are bypassed. When
git is PID 1 in a container, these un-reaped children become zombies.

Register atexit handlers in both transport-helper.c and connect.c to
ensure children are reaped on any exit path. Clear the handlers on the
normal cleanup paths to avoid double-waiting.

Signed-off-by: Andrew Au <[email-masked]>
---
 connect.c          | 17 +++++++++++++++++
 transport-helper.c | 11 +++++++++++
 2 files changed, 28 insertions(+)

diff --git a/connect.c b/connect.c
index eef752f14..322b1f816 100644
--- a/connect.c
+++ b/connect.c
@@ -20,6 +20,18 @@ static char *server_capabilities_v1;
 static struct strvec server_capabilities_v2 = STRVEC_INIT;
 static const char *next_server_feature_value(const char *feature, int *len, int *offset);
 
+/*
+ * Ensure the connection child (ssh, proxy, or local git) is reaped on
+ * any exit path, mirroring the transport-helper.c atexit pattern.
+ */
+static struct child_process *conn_to_reap;
+
+static void cleanup_conn_on_exit(void)
+{
+	if (conn_to_reap)
+		finish_command(conn_to_reap);
+}
+
 static int check_ref(const char *name, unsigned int flags)
 {
 	if (!flags)
@@ -991,6 +1003,8 @@ static struct child_process *git_proxy_connect(int fd[2], char *host)
 	proxy->out = -1;
 	if (start_command(proxy))
 		die(_("cannot start proxy %s"), git_proxy_command);
+	conn_to_reap = proxy;
+	atexit(cleanup_conn_on_exit);
 	fd[0] = proxy->out; /* read from proxy stdout */
 	fd[1] = proxy->in;  /* write to proxy stdin */
 	return proxy;
@@ -1449,6 +1463,8 @@ struct child_process *git_connect(int fd[2], const char *url,
 
 		if (start_command(conn))
 			die(_("unable to fork"));
+		conn_to_reap = conn;
+		atexit(cleanup_conn_on_exit);
 
 		fd[0] = conn->out; /* read from child's stdout */
 		fd[1] = conn->in;  /* write to child's stdin */
@@ -1466,6 +1482,7 @@ int finish_connect(struct child_process *conn)
 		return 0;
 
 	code = finish_command(conn);
+	conn_to_reap = NULL;
 	free(conn);
 	return code;
 }
diff --git a/transport-helper.c b/transport-helper.c
index e95267a4a..cdfd40dfc 100644
--- a/transport-helper.c
+++ b/transport-helper.c
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@
 
 static int debug;
 
+static struct child_process *helper_to_reap;
+
+static void cleanup_helper_on_exit(void)
+{
+	if (helper_to_reap)
+		finish_command(helper_to_reap);
+}
+
 struct helper_data {
 	const char *name;
 	struct child_process *helper;
@@ -147,6 +155,8 @@ static struct child_process *get_helper(struct transport *transport)
 		exit(code);
 
 	data->helper = helper;
+	helper_to_reap = helper;
+	atexit(cleanup_helper_on_exit);
 	data->no_disconnect_req = 0;
 	refspec_init(&data->rs, REFSPEC_FETCH);
 
@@ -249,6 +259,7 @@ static int disconnect_helper(struct transport *transport)
 		close(data->helper->out);
 		fclose(data->out);
 		res = finish_command(data->helper);
+		helper_to_reap = NULL;
 		FREE_AND_NULL(data->helper);
 	}
 	return res;
-- 
2.43.0