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Ticket Hash: d6b36be38a06c0525731e6357125e6a35ecc4b79
Title: Sub-select in LIMIT clause may access db without locks.
Status: Closed Type: Code_Defect
Severity: Critical Priority: Immediate
Subsystem: Code_Generator Resolution: Fixed
Last Modified: 2012-12-07 19:41:22
Version Found In: trunk
Description:
This problem affects a SELECT statement only if all the following are true:
  • The FROM clause consists of a single sub-select.
  • The FROM clause sub-select cannot be flattened into its parent.
  • Either the LIMIT or OFFSET clause of the outer SELECT is also a sub-select.

When SQLite processes a SELECT statement for which the FROM clause contains a single sub-select that is not eligible for the flattening optimization, it creates a co-routine that returns one row each time it is invoked to implement the sub-select.

The vdbe code is:

  • Jump to start of main routine,
  • Body of co-routine,
  • Main routine (invokes sub-routine).
  • VerifyCookie routine.

Because of the way the SQL compiler works, the VerifyCookie routine is currently being invoked the first time the co-routine is invoked, not by the start of the main routine. If the main routine attempts to access the database before the co-routine is invoked, then it is an error. This may occur if either the LIMIT or the OFFSET expression of the main SELECT are themselves sub-selects that access the database. For example:

  CREATE TABLE abc(a, b, c);
  CREATE TABLE def(a, b, c);

  SELECT * FROM (SELECT * FROM def LIMIT 1 OFFSET 1) LIMIT (SELECT 20 FROM abc)