Application Control daemon not running - Error initializing instance of plugin HPACK_UTIL

Question

Hi there, 
 since I upgraded to 9.506-2 I do receive several times a day (sometimes 1-3, sometimes 5 per hour) messages like this: 
 
 Application Control daemon not running - restarted 
 HA Status : HA MASTER (node id: 1) 
 System Uptime : 32 days 2 hours 12 minutes 
 System Load : 1.09 
 System Version : Sophos UTM 9.506-2 
 
 corresponding kernel message: 
 afcd/257[23036]: segfault at e2 ip 00000000f6a56cbd sp 00000000f5854fc0 error 4 in libnavl.so.4.3[f69e5000+9a7000] 
 
 This is a segfault due to following a null pointer trying to find code to run - and Segfault error 4 means "The cause was a user-mode read resulting in no page being found." 
 
 afc.log: 
 2018:01:03-12:09:47 XYZ-1 ulogd[5608]: id="2017" severity="info" sys="SecureNet" sub="packetfilter" name="AFC Alert" action="log" fwrule="1" outitf="eth1" mark="0x21c0" app="448" srcmac="00:1a:8c:f0:80:a1" srcip="192.168.1.153" dstip="13.107.3.128" proto="6" length="233" tos="0x00" prec="0x00" ttl="62" srcport="50626" dstport="443" tcpflags="ACK PSH" 
 2018:01:03-12:09:49 XYZ-1 ulogd[5608]: id="2017" severity="info" sys="SecureNet" sub="packetfilter" name="AFC Alert" action="log" fwrule="1" outitf="eth1" mark="0x21c0" app="448" srcmac="00:1a:8c:f0:80:a1" srcip="192.168.1.186" dstip="13.107.3.128" proto="6" length="225" tos="0x18" prec="0xa0" ttl="126" srcport="55042" dstport="443" tcpflags="ACK PSH" 
 2018:01:03-12:09:51 XYZ-2 afcd[2348]: vy_plugin: N: finalizing vineyard thread 
 2018:01:03-12:09:51 XYZ-2 afcd[2348]: STATUS: alert_lvl="GREEN" run_time=5332 num_cts=0 pktps_avg=0.00 pktps_avg_max=0.00 skipped_pktps_avg=0.00 skipped_pktps_avg_max=0.00 connps_avg=0.00 connps_avg_max=0.00 rusage_sys=0.520 rusage_usr=0.220 
 2018:01:03-12:09:51 XYZ-2 afcd[2348]: packets: 0 (0 inspected, 0 skipped) 
 2018:01:03-12:09:51 XYZ-2 afcd[2348]: connections: 0 (0 classified) 
 2018:01:03-12:09:51 XYZ-2 afcd[8787]: _afc_cfg_file_plugin_parse: 1911 protocols registered 
 2018:01:03-12:09:52 XYZ-2 afcd[8787]: libnavl: E: InitInstance: Error initializing instance of plugin HPACK_UTIL 
 2018:01:03-12:09:53 XYZ-2 afcd[8787]: vy_plugin: N: aptp: threaddata loaded from /var/chroot-afc/etc/aptpdata 
 2018:01:03-12:09:53 XYZ-2 afcd[8787]: loaded plugin '/var/sec/chroot-afc/lib/afc/vineyard.so' 
 2018:01:03-12:09:53 XYZ-2 afcd[8787]: _afc_cfg_file_plugin_parse: 1911 protocols registered 
 2018:01:03-12:09:53 XYZ-2 afcd[8809]: AFC ready. 
 2018:01:03-12:09:57 XYZ-1 ulogd[5608]: id="2017" severity="info" sys="SecureNet" sub="packetfilter" name="AFC Alert" action="log" fwrule="1" outitf="eth1" mark="0x21c0" app="448" srcmac="00:1a:8c:f0:80:a1" srcip="192.168.0.100" dstip="13.107.3.128" proto="6" length="225" tos="0x18" prec="0xa0" ttl="126" srcport="52222" dstport="443" tcpflags="ACK PSH" 
 2018:01:03-12:10:16 XYZ-1 ulogd[5608]: id="2017" severity="info" sys="SecureNet" sub="packetfilter" name="AFC Alert" action="log" fwrule="1" outitf="eth1" mark="0x21c0" app="448" srcmac="00:1a:8c:f0:80:a1" srcip="192.168.0.47" dstip="13.107.3.128" proto="6" length="225" tos="0x18" prec="0xa0" ttl="126" srcport="56963" dstport="443" tcpflags="ACK PSH"

In Application control log there is nothing logged about this issue.

Any ideas...? 
 
 Thanks

Karlos · Answer

Hi Chris, 
 Could you also check whether you have any afcd coredumps (located in /var/storage/cores)? 
 It sounds like you are affected by a known issue identified as BUG-ID: NUTM-9249 
 A fix is currently under testing and estimated to be released between the first or second week of January pending any unforeseen circumstances. 
 Thanks, Karlos