Problems with malloc in C++

Question

Dear Experts
I am facing a strange core dump in a malloc() call. This function is gettnig called numerous times per second and from the debugs I found that it's allocating a memory pointer which was just deallocated by free(). This is happening very frequently and at some point of time causing core dump sometimes.
My question is how to make sure malloc() doesn't allocate the same memroy pointer which was just deallocated. Any help on this is highly appreciated.
Here is the pstack data from core file:
core 'mmi_core_nov12' of 26470: /usr/omc/current/bin/mmi_daemon -r 4 -w 7
7ec475ec realfree (9c7488, 74234, 200, 7ecbc000, 20, 10597c1) + 108
7ec47e1c cleanfree (0, 2, ffbfc3c4, 7ecbc000, 0, ffbfd17c) + 54
7ec46f68 mallocunlocked (c9, 0, 7fa1fa7c, 7ecbc000, 7ffffffe, 0) + 114
7ec46e38 malloc (c9, ffffffff, ffffffff, 1, ffffffff, 0) + 20
7f8c8744 __1cSmmi_c_DspList_NodeUStore_Display_Buffer6M_l_ (9c8960, 0, 890f88, 148, 9c8c38, ffbfcd31) + 84
7f8c49ac __1cSmmi_c_DspList_NodePDisplay_Line_CB6Mpci_l_ (9c8960, 91b630, 0, 124, 0, 12) + fc
7f93e958 mmi_f_DspList_Display_Line_CB (91b630, 9c8c38, 0, fffffff8, 0, 9c8c42) + 168
7f987c5c mmi_f_XDL_Scroll_Up_CB (0, 91b630, 0, 1, ffffffff, 9c8a8c) + 16c
7f97f668 mmi_f_XDL_Append_Record (91b630, 9c8c38, 1388, 0, 0, 10597c1) + 5b8
7f8c5fc4 __1cYmmi_c_DspList_ControllerLAppend_Node6MpnSmmi_c_DspList_Node__l_ (8e3874, 9c8960, 20, 7ecbf1f8, 0, ffbfd17c) + 204
7f8cd080 __1cbAmmi_c_EvDspList_ControllerLInsert_Node6MpnSmmi_c_Event_Record__l_ (8e3870, 9c8960, 13738, 4, 7efca538, 148) + 150
7f93ae28 __1cVmmi_c_SubsList_WindowbBProcess_Route_Event_Message6MpnRmmi_c_OMC_Message__l_ (8e3710, c61930, 20, 7ecc02e4, 0, 0) + 6d8
7f938dec __1cbJmmi_c_Filtered_Event_Display_WindowbFProcess_Route_Log_Event_Message6MpnRmmi_c_OMC_Message__l_ (8e3710, c61930, 7ecc02e4, 7fa32219, 966e60, 26) + 2f4
7f93b900 __1cVmmi_c_SubsList_WindowELoad6Mpc_l_ (8e3710, 969d64, 1, 0, 4, 98) + 238
7f9397cc __1cbJmmi_c_Filtered_Event_Display_WindowELoad6M_l_ (8e3710, 8e4330, 906790, ffbfd5f4, 7efca538, 34) + 77c
7f938abc __1cbJmmi_c_Filtered_Event_Display_WindowPProcess_Message6MpnRmmi_c_OMC_Message__v_ (8e3710, 8e4330, 906790, ffbfd5f4, 0, 0) + fc
7f8a6524 __1cYmmi_c_Message_ControllerYProcess_Response_Message6MpnRmmi_c_OMC_Message__l_ (7fa19da4, 8e4330, fffffffe, 0, 0, 0) + d4
7f8ad61c __1cYmmi_c_XClient_ControllerUProcess_Next_Message6M_l_ (7fa19da4, ffbfd794, ffbfd4f8, 0, 0, 0) + eac
000186f0 __1cTCompositeControllerUProcess_Next_Message6Mi_l_ (7fa19da4, fffffffe, 0, ffbfd710, ffbfd690, 0) + 38
00018510 mmi_f_Process_Next_Message (0, ffffffff, ffbfd710, ffbfd790, ffbfd83c, ffbfd690) + 38
7f98ccec mmi_f_Read_Message_Timeout (0, ffbfd8c0, 8e3080, 7f98cc68, ea70d, ffbfd8c4) + 84
7f33b850 DoOtherSources (86a20, 0, 1, 0, ffbfd710, 0) + 240
7f33b47c XtAppNextEvent (86a20, ffbfd998, 1, 7f9b2170, 0, 0) + d4
7f33b35c XtAppMainLoop (86a20, 3e3e2, ffbfdacc, 0, 3dba8, 190) + 2c
00018444 main (5, ffbfdacc, ffbfdae4, 3e000, 0, 0) + 4a4
00017f78 _start   (0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0) + 108
Regards
Shishir

Answer 1

My program is not multithreaded, neither I am using -mt option for compiling it.
Actually, from one website I found that core dump might occur for the followong scenario :
Symptom: Segmentation fault (core dumped);
variables change values without being called.
Description: When allocated memory is deallocated using the free, the memory may be modified immediately by the code in free (it uses memory to perform its bookkeeping functions) or the memory may be re-used by the next call to malloc. In either case, if you continue to use the memory after freeing it, the memory can be modified unexpectedly, or your modification of it may cause other parts of your program to act strangely.
Avoid by: Sorry - no easy avoidance.
And this seems to be the exact scenario in which I am seeing the core. In my case, malloc() and free() are getting called very frequently(multiple times in a second). Moreover, malloc() is allocating the same memory pointer which was just being deallocated by free() call.
I just wanted to make sure, can this really be a possible reason. Your quick response is highly appreciated.