What is a "virtual thunk" to a virtual function that inherits from a virtual base class?

Question

Something went wrong when I try to access the memory layout of a derived class object which inherits from a virtual base class.
Programming environment: GNU/Linux 3.19.0-32-generic, x86_64
Compiler: gcc 4.8.4

//virtual base class
class Base {
public :
    virtual void f() {
        cout << "Base::f()" << endl;
    }
private:
    long x;
};

//derived class
class Derived : public virtual Base {
public:
    virtual void f() {
        cout << "Derived::f()" << endl;
    }
private:
    long y;
};

int main() {
    typedef void (*FUNC)(void);
    Derived d;

    //In my machine, sizeof(long) == sizeof(pointers). My code below is neither portable nor concise. You can just read the annotation.

    //dereference the first element of the first virtual function table(equals to *(vptr1->slot[0]))
    cout << hex << *((long*)*((long*)(&d) + 0) + 0) << endl;
    ((FUNC)*((long*)*((long*)(&d) + 0) + 0))();//invoke Derived::f()

    //dereference the first element of the second virtual function table(equals to *(vptr2->slot[0]))
    cout << hex << *((long*)*((long*)(&d) + 2) + 0) << endl;
    ((FUNC)*((long*)*((long*)(&d) + 2) + 0))();//maybe Derived::f()?

    return 0;
}

When I run the code, I got "segment fault":

400c12
Derived::f()
400c3c
segment fault

So I disassembly the executable file.
I found the function <_ZTv0_n24_N7Derived1fEv> in 0x400c3c:

0000000000400c3c <_ZTv0_n24_N7Derived1fEv>:
  400c3c:       4c 8b 17                mov    (%rdi),%r10
  400c3f:       49 03 7a e8             add    -0x18(%r10),%rdi
  400c43:       eb cd                   jmp    400c12 <_ZN7Derived1fEv>
  400c45:       90                      nop

Demangle the symbol in my terminal:

> c++filt _ZTv0_n24_N7Derived1fEv
virtual thunk to Derived::f()

Then what is a virtual thunk to Derived::f()?Why is it there?

Stringy

Is your question 'what is a virtual thunk' or 'why does it segfault'? – Tonyatonye

@Tonyatonye the former. – Stringy

Why are you trying to do this? – Mudguard

@n.m. The standard didn't say how a compiler implement virtual inheritance.And I just wanna know that. – Stringy

Answer 1

Virtual thunk of some function is a helper function that fixes the this parameter before calling the actual function. Look at this example:

Derived *d = new Derived();
// d now points to some address, e.g. 0x6eac40

d->f(); // This calls _ZN7Derived1fEv (Derived::f() directly)

Base *b = d;
// b now points to some other address (!), e.g. 0x6eac50

b->f(); // This calls _ZTv0_n24_N7Derived1fEv (the virtual thunk
        // of Derived::f()), which subtracts some amount from `this`
        // and then jumps to the _ZN7Derived1fEv (Derived::f())

A Base object in memory looks somehow like this:

      * Pointer to part of Base vtable with Base's virtual functions.
          This vtable contains Base::f()

      * Data of Base class (variable `x`)

A Derived object in memory looks somehow like this:

   |> * Pointer to part of Derived vtable with Derived's virtual functions.
   |>     This vtable contains the Derived::f()
   |>
|> |> * Pointer to part of Derived vtable with the same layout as Base vtable.
|> |>     This vtable contains the thunk of Derived::f()
|> |>
|> |> * Data of Base class (variable `x`)
|  |>
|  |> * Data of Derived class (variable `y`)
|  |
|  \ This is complete Derived object.
|    The `d` pointer points at the beginning of this.
|
\ This is the part of Derived object that can act as a Base object.
  The `b` pointer points at beginning of this.

PS: Now it should be also clear why calling _ZTv0_n24_N7Derived1fEv on the d pointer crashes. That function works only when given this pointer that is pointing inside the Derived object - into the part of it that can be used like a Base object.

Stainless

Answer 2

There is an unclear thing in the question. In the "virtual thunk to Derived::f()", I think that "add -0x18(%r10),%rdi" can not fix this pointer, because the offset between the beginning of Derive object and its subobject (Base) is not 24 (0x18).

Miter

Oh, I know that. Here it needs to get the offset in an indirect way. "vtbl - 0x18" points the offset value in virtual function table. And then correcting "this" by adding offset. – Miter

see in #40627976 – Miter