How to fix a Segmentation fault error when running a compiled C or C++ program?

A Segmentation fault error occurs when a program tries to access a memory region that does not belong to it or to which it does not have the appropriate rights. Most frequently, this happens due to dereferencing a null or uninitialized pointer, going out of array bounds, or trying to write to a read-only memory area. To successfully solve this problem, you must first localize the crash location in the source code.

The most effective tool for debugging such problems is the GDB console debugger. To use it, compile your program with the -g flag, which adds debugging information. Then start the debugger with the command gdb program_name and enter the run command. When the program crashes, enter the backtrace command to see the exact call stack and line number where the failure occurred.

Additionally, for finding memory leaks and incorrect access, it is strongly recommended to use built-in compiler sanitizers, such as AddressSanitizer. To do this, add the -fsanitize=address flag when building the project. During program execution, the sanitizer will output a detailed report indicating the type of error and the exact context, allowing you to quickly fix the vulnerable piece of code.