Memory & Resource Management
Memory leak
Last updated: 4 Mar 2026
Definition
Allocated memory or references are never released, increasing usage over time.
How to fix Memory leak?
Dispose/close resources deterministically; break reference cycles; cap caches; add leak detection and soak tests
Symptoms
Observable signs that may indicate Memory leak:
- Process memory grows over time without returning to baseline.
- Frequent GC pauses or OOM kills under steady load.
- Heap snapshots show unreachable yet retained objects.
Example Errors:
- Java OOME: Java heap space
- Fatal error: JavaScript heap out of memory
- OutOfMemoryError: unable to create new native thread