Java.lang.VerifyError: Waiting for stackmap frame on target branch

Hi this is due to some bytecode in your application. (see this Java 7 compatibility changes note http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/compatibility-417013.html#incompatibilities , look there a few lines below for JSR 202)

You can either

• recompile all sources with JDK 7
• or if you don't have access to the source
  • use java
    
    with parameter-XX:-UseSplitVerifier
    
    
  • or switch to Java 6 if you run into problems with the switch

edit Even the answer is already a little old. Due to the current case, I am adding a more detailed explanation.

The attribute StackMapTable

in the class file was not even documented at the time, introduced with Java 6.

Foo.java

public class Foo {
    public static boolean bar(String s) {
        if (s.length() == 0) {
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }
}

$ java -version
java version "1.6.0"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0-b105)
$ javac Foo.java
$ javap -c -v Foo
Compiled from "Foo.java"
public class Foo extends java.lang.Object
  SourceFile: "Foo.java"
  minor version: 0
  major version: 50
...
public static boolean bar(java.lang.String);
  Code:
   Stack=1, Locals=1, Args_size=1
   0:   aload_0
   1:   invokevirtual   #2; //Method java/lang/String.length:()I
   4:   ifne    9
   7:   iconst_1
   8:   ireturn
   9:   iconst_0
   10:  ireturn
  LineNumberTable: 
   line 3: 0
   line 4: 7
   line 6: 9

  StackMapTable: number_of_entries = 1
   frame_type = 9 /* same */
}

      

        
        
        
      

    

The class verifier did not check if the attribute was in the class or not.

Next, a file is created Foo.class

without an attribute StackMatTable

.

FooDump.java

import org.objectweb.asm.*;
import java.io.*;

public class FooDump implements Opcodes {

    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream("Foo.class");
        fos.write(dump());
        fos.close();
    }

    public static byte[] dump() throws Exception {
        ClassWriter cw = new ClassWriter(0);
        FieldVisitor fv;

        cw.visit(V1_6, ACC_PUBLIC + ACC_SUPER, "Foo", null, "java/lang/Object",
            null);

        MethodVisitor mv = cw.visitMethod(ACC_PUBLIC, "<init>", "()V", null, 
            null);
        mv.visitCode();
        mv.visitVarInsn(ALOAD, 0);
        mv.visitMethodInsn(INVOKESPECIAL, "java/lang/Object", "<init>", "()V", 
            false);
        mv.visitInsn(RETURN);
        mv.visitMaxs(1, 1);
        mv.visitEnd();

        mv = cw.visitMethod(ACC_PUBLIC + ACC_STATIC, "bar", 
            "(Ljava/lang/String;)Z", null, null);
        mv.visitCode();
        mv.visitVarInsn(ALOAD, 0);
        mv.visitMethodInsn(INVOKEVIRTUAL, "java/lang/String", "length", "()I", 
            false);
        Label l0 = new Label();
        mv.visitJumpInsn(IFNE, l0);
        mv.visitInsn(ICONST_1);
        mv.visitInsn(IRETURN);
        mv.visitLabel(l0);
        // this line would generate the StackMapTable attribute
        // mv.visitFrame(Opcodes.F_SAME, 0, null, 0, null);
        mv.visitInsn(ICONST_0);
        mv.visitInsn(IRETURN);
        mv.visitMaxs(1, 1);
        mv.visitEnd();

        cw.visitEnd();
        return cw.toByteArray();
    }
}

      

        
        
        
      

    

compile and run it

$ javac -cp asm-5.2.jar:asm-util-5.2.jar:. FooDump.java
$ java -cp asm-5.2.jar:asm-util-5.2.jar:. FooDump

      

        
        
        
      

    

check the attribute is StackMapTable

missing in the file

$ javap -c -v Foo
public class Foo extends java.lang.Object
  minor version: 0
  major version: 50
...
public static boolean bar(java.lang.String);
  Code:
   Stack=1, Locals=1, Args_size=1
   0:   aload_0
   1:   invokevirtual   #16; //Method java/lang/String.length:()I
   4:   ifne    9
   7:   iconst_1
   8:   ireturn
   9:   iconst_0
   10:  ireturn
}

      

        
        
        
      

    

FooDemo.java

public class FooDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("output: " + Foo.bar(""));
    }
}

$ java -version
java version "1.6.0"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0-b105)
$ javac FooDemo.java
$java FooDemo 
output: true

      

        
        
        
      

    

Since Java 7, the class validation has changed.

For version 50 (Java 6) class files, the check failed if StackMapTable

missing or incorrect (see jvms-4.10.1 ).

Run validation with Foo

Java version 6 of the class.

$ java -version
java version "1.7.0"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0-b147)

$ javap -c -v Foo
Classfile /home/suboptimal/playground/Foo.class
  Last modified Jun 9, 2017; size 232 bytes
  MD5 checksum 5a7ea4a5dd2f6d1bcfddb9ffd720f9c9
public class Foo
  minor version: 0
  major version: 50 <-- class file Java 6
...

$ javac FooDemo.java
$ java FooDemo
output: true

      

        
        
        
      

    

This failover no longer occurred for version 51 (Java 7) class files.

Foo

Modify the code to create a Java 7 version of the class FooDump.java

.

// cw.visit(V1_6, ACC_PUBLIC + ACC_SUPER, "Foo", null, "java/lang/Object", null);
cw.visit(V1_7, ACC_PUBLIC + ACC_SUPER, "Foo", null, "java/lang/Object", null);

      

        
        
        
      

    

compile and run it

$ javac -cp asm-5.2.jar:asm-util-5.2.jar:. FooDump.java
$ java -cp asm-5.2.jar:asm-util-5.2.jar:. FooDump

      

        
        
        
      

    

check it's version 51 class

$ java -version
java version "1.7.0"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0-b147)

$ javap -c -v Foo
Classfile /home/suboptimal/playground/Foo.class
  Last modified Jun 9, 2017; size 232 bytes
  MD5 checksum cfd57fb547ac98a1b2808549f5e9e8c1
public class Foo
  minor version: 0
  major version: 51 <-- class file Java 7
...

$ javac FooDemo.java
$ java FooDemo
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.VerifyError: Expecting a stackmap frame at branch target 9 in method Foo.bar(Ljava/lang/String;)Z at offset 4

      

        
        
        
      

    

In Java 7, type checking for an attribute StackMapTable

can be disabled to revert to the Java 6 switch mechanism using the UseSplitVerifier option .

$ java -version
java version "1.7.0"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0-b147)

$ java -XX:-UseSplitVerifier FooDemo
output: true

      

        
        
        
      

    

In Java 8, attribute validation StackMapTable

became mandatory and the option UseSplitVerifier

was removed.

$ java -version
java version "1.8.0"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0-b132)

$ javap -c -v Foo
Classfile /home/suboptimal/playground/Foo.class
  Last modified Jun 9, 2017; size 232 bytes
  MD5 checksum cfd57fb547ac98a1b2808549f5e9e8c1
public class Foo
  minor version: 0
  major version: 51 <-- class file Java 7
...

$ javac FooDemo.java
$ java FooDemo
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.VerifyError: Expecting a stackmap frame at branch target 9

$ java -XX:-UseSplitVerifier FooDemo
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM warning: ignoring option UseSplitVerifier; support was removed in 8.0
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.VerifyError: Expecting a stackmap frame at branch target 9

      

        
        
        
      

    

note To always use the initial Java 6/7/8 was made with the intention of showing that the behavior was there from the beginning.

You can find some suggestions to get it started with Java 8 ...

$ java -noverify FooDemo
output: true

$ java -Xverify:none FooDemo
output: true

      

        
        
        
      

    

note This disables the bytecode verifier. Be aware never to disable bytecode validation on a production system .