Oracle client connection bug

According to colleagues, two Oracle clients on linux x86 cannot connect to the oracle database, and the local connection to SQL plus from the server also loses response.
Metalink mentioned this as a bug in oracle (4612267 ).

SQL * Plus 10.2.0.1 Hangs, When System Uptime Is Long Period of Time [ID 338461.1]

Applies:
SQL * Plus-Version: 10.2.0.1 to 10.2.0.1-Release: Oracle10g to Oracle10g
Generic UNIX
Linux x86
HP-UX PA-RISC (64-bits)
Ibm aix on POWER Systems (64-bit)
Linux x86-64
Checked for relevance on 18-Apr-2010
Symptoms
Trying to invoke SQL * Plus hangs when machine uptime has been for a long period of time. There have been cases where problem occurs when uptime reaches 60 days and others

Long as 248 days.

Database connection is not relevant as the 'sqlplus 'executable itself hangs with or without connection information. It hangs regardless of what parameters are passed in.

Example:

Sqlplus-V

However, the hang does not reproduce with Instant Client version 10.1.0.4

Generating a stack trace using gdb debugger shows:

#0 0x0048a0dd in times () from/lib/tls/libc. so.6
#1 0x01884599 in sltrgatime64 () from./libclntsh. so.10.1
#2 0x0137d70f in kghindium () from./libclntsh. so.10.1
#3 0x00f86b47 in kpuinit0 () from./libclntsh. so.10.1
#4 0x00f85e7a in kpuenvcr () from./libclntsh. so.10.1
#5 0x01051b5e in OCIEnvCreate () from./libclntsh. so.10.1
#6 0x0099787e in afidrv () from./libsqlplus. so
#7 0x009702b9 in safimTerminate () from./libsqlplus. so
#8 0x0098c246 in afidrv () from./libsqlplus. so
#9 0x080486f6 in main ()

Running STRACE tool shows:

$ Strace/oracle/home/bin/sqlplus-V 2> & 1 | less
......
Old_mmap (NULL, 385024, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_PRIVATE | MAP_ANONYMOUS,-1, 0) = 0x41794000
Gettimeofday ({1122996561,411 035}, NULL) = 0
Access ("/usr/local/UD/conf/sqlnet. ora", F_ OK) =-1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
Access ("/usr/local/UD/lib/oracle/network/admin/sqlnet. ora", F_ OK) =-1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
Access ("/usr/local/UD/conf/sqlnet. ora", F_ OK) =-1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
Access ("/usr/local/UD/lib/oracle/network/admin/sqlnet. ora", F_ OK) =-1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
Fcntl64 (-1218313656, F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC) =-1 EBADF (Bad file descriptor)
Times (NULL) =-1825782405
Times (NULL) =-1825782405
Times (NULL) =-1825782405
Times (NULL) =-1825782405
Times (NULL) =-1825782405
Times (NULL) =-1825782405
Times (NULL) =-1825782405

It is looping on the times () function.

In addition to sqlplus, it has been reported that the netca and dbca tools also hang.

Changes
This may happen with a new installation of Instant Client 10.2.0.1.0 or Oracle 10.2.0.1.0 on UNIX platform, or it can just occur after some period of time with no other changes.

Cause
This is a known, unpublished bug.

BUG 4612267 oci client is in an infinite loop when machine uptime hits 248 DAYS

Solution
Select one of the following two solutions:

1) Apply one-off patch available for 10.2.0.1.
A. Download one-off patch off Metalink:
Patch 4612267
Description oci client is in an infinite loop when machine uptime hits 248 DAYS
Product CORE
Release Oracle 10.2.0.1

B. To apply patch on Instant Client install, please follow instructions incluented in the OCI manual.
You can find this in:
Http://www.oracle.com/pls/db102/db102.show_toc? Which = main & partno = b14250 & maxlevel = 2? Ion = & expand = 3216

Under "Patching Instant Client Shared Libraries on Linux or UNIX ".

2) Apply Patchset 10.2.0.2 or higher.
According to unpublished BUG 4612267, this bug is fixed in version 11, and backported to 10.2.0.2 patchset.