---
id: "bug-1705"
status: "open"
status_updated: "2026-09-24"
status_note: "xce_test jobsub -x exdata overwritten by build_job_exdata and leaked"
component: "controller"
severity: "leak"
timestamp: "2026-08-26T09:32:18Z"
last_seen: "2026-09-19T09:00:00Z"
occurrences: 1
files: ["src/controller/testsuite/test.c:2243-2245 (-x parsing)", ":2181-2195 (build_job_envs unconditional overwrite)", ":2336 (unconditional call site)", "USAGE_JOBSUB at :484-485"]
tags: ["controller", "testsuite", "xce_test", "cmd_jobsub", "dead-flag", "silent-data-loss", "memory-leak", "cli-ux-audit"]
related: []
legacy: true
---

# bug-1705: cmd_jobsub's `-x <exdata>` flag is documented (USAGE_JOBSUB) as overriding the built-in PATH-only…

## Description
cmd_jobsub's `-x <exdata>` flag is documented (USAGE_JOBSUB) as overriding the built-in PATH-only exdata JSON, but build_job_exdata()/build_job_envs() unconditionally overwrite submit.start_info->exdata with the built-in PATH JSON regardless of whether -x already set a value -- the exact opposite of the documented behavior. The original -x value is also leaked (never freed before being replaced).

## Environment
_Not recorded (migrated from buglog.json)._

## Reproduction
_Not recorded (migrated from buglog.json)._

## Root cause
build_job_exdata()/build_job_envs() have no guard for an already-non-NULL exdata field before overwriting it.

## Fix
NOT YET FIXED. Recommended: skip build_job_exdata() when submit.start_info->exdata is already non-NULL (from -x), and free the old pointer before any legitimate reassignment.

## Verification
_Not recorded (migrated from buglog.json)._

## References
_Not recorded (migrated from buglog.json)._