Hmbown/CodeWhale · error · anyhow::Error

Android {authority} identifies runtime linker `{}`; refusing

Error message

Android {authority} identifies runtime linker `{}`; refusing to use the linker as an update target

What it means

validate_android_reported_path (applied to each authority separately: dladdr or /proc/self/maps) found the reported path names Bionic's runtime linker. Updating would overwrite a system component, so the check refuses; this is the per-authority form of the linker guard that also exists after the two authorities are joined.

Source

Thrown at crates/cli/src/update.rs:461

    })
}

#[cfg(any(target_os = "android", all(test, unix)))]
fn validate_android_reported_path(authority: &str, path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
    if !path.is_absolute() {
        bail!(
            "Android {authority} reported non-absolute loaded-image path `{}`",
            path.display()
        );
    }
    if path.to_string_lossy().ends_with(" (deleted)") {
        bail!(
            "Android {authority} reported deleted loaded image `{}`",
            path.display()
        );
    }
    if is_android_linker_name(path) {
        bail!(
            "Android {authority} identifies runtime linker `{}`; refusing to use the linker as an update target",
            path.display()
        );
    }
    Ok(())
}

#[cfg(any(target_os = "android", all(test, unix)))]
fn validate_android_mapping_identity(
    mapping: &AndroidImageMapping,
    candidate: &Path,
) -> Result<()> {
    use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;

    let candidate_metadata = std::fs::metadata(candidate).with_context(|| {
        format!(
            "failed to stat Android update target {}",
            candidate.display()

View on GitHub (pinned to 0c42157ee5)

Solutions

Launch the binary directly (exec) instead of loading it through the linker or a wrapper
Reinstall using the documented Android method and retry
Report the authority name and path from the message for triage

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Try / catch

Catch and stop: the authority name in the message tells you which source (dladdr or maps) implicated the linker; report the launch configuration rather than retrying.

Prevention

Exec the binary directly instead of loading it through linker namespaces
Avoid wrappers that dlopen the program image
Reinstall via documented methods when launchers change

When it happens

Trigger: Android self-update where one authority's raw path already matches is_android_linker_name (e.g. /system/bin/linker64, /apex/com.android.art/bin/linker64, ld-android.so) before canonicalization and comparison.

Common situations: Same class as the post-join linker refusal: dlopen-based launchers, mispackaged builds, linker-namespace quirks on specific Android versions.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of Hmbown/CodeWhale@0c42157ee5 (2026-08-20). Data as JSON: /api/errors/980f29fbe72e7540. Report an issue: GitHub.