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Subject: BUG #19720: pg_trgm GiST index corruption from gtrgm_union() dropping
 SIGNKEY
To: pgsql-bugs@lists.postgresql.org
From: PG Bug reporting form <noreply@postgresql.org>
Cc: natec425@gmail.com
Reply-To: natec425@gmail.com, pgsql-bugs@lists.postgresql.org
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 19:38:25 +0000
Message-ID: <19720-b3e83f5e99c485c5@postgresql.org>
Auto-Submitted: auto-generated
Archived-At: 
 <https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/19720-b3e83f5e99c485c5%40postgresql.org>
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The following bug has been logged on the website:

Bug reference:      19720
Logged by:          Nate Clark
Email address:      natec425@gmail.com
PostgreSQL version: 18.6
Operating system:   macOS 26 (aarch64)
Description:       =20

Hey all,

I experienced index corruption for a trigram GiST index at work. I believe
it is due to an invalid `TRGM->flag` state.

Currently, `gtrgm_union` sets `result->flag =3D ALLISTRUE` when it determin=
es
that the signature is all true, but this drops the `SIGNKEY` bit. Downstream
of this, `unionkey` branches on the flag and defaults to the array handling
else branch. This array branch interprets the state as a 0 length array and
produces an empty signature. These two pieces together mean that an insert
in this bad flag state will produce a downlink with only the signature bits
for that new inserted value rather than the true union of the children.

I believe the fix is to change it to `|=3D ALLISTRUE` (similar to the other
GiST op classes). I've tested this change locally against the following
repro script.

I get the following output against `master` and 18.6 (with some small jitter
in total count):

         what          | count
-----------------------+-------
 tests (total minus 3) |     0
 total                 | 33120

With the `|=3D` patch I get:

         what          | count
-----------------------+-------
 tests (total minus 3) | 33130
 total                 | 33133

Thanks so much for your time,
Nate Clark

-- repro script
create extension if not exists pg_trgm;
create extension if not exists pageinspect;
drop table if exists t;
create table t (v text);
create index t_idx on t
  -- siglen 4 to make it simpler to hit ALLISTRUE
  using gist (v gist_trgm_ops(siglen=3D4));

-- Insert until the root splits as an internal node
-- so we get signature, not array, logic.
do $$
begin
  -- insert a null to hit the null handling branch involving gtrgm_union
  insert into t values (null);
  -- insert an ALLISTRUE input
  insert into t select string_agg(i::text, ' ')
                from generate_series(1, 100) i;
  -- insert until the root splits
  loop
    insert into t values ('test');
    exit when exists (
      select from gist_page_items_bytea(get_raw_page('t_idx', 0)) r,
        gist_page_opaque_info(get_raw_page('t_idx',
          (r.ctid::text::point)[0]::int)) c
      where r.itemoffset =3D 1 and not 'leaf' =3D any(c.flags));
  end loop;
end $$;

-- Insert one row whose trigrams set 0 bits.
-- This causes all children to be unreachable.
insert into t values ('');

select 'total' as what, count(*) from t
union
select 'tests (total minus 3)', count(*) from t where v =3D 'test';