Named pipe: ReadFile after ConnectNamedPipe return ERROR_BROKEN_PIPE

Question

I reactivated code that I am sure used to work some months ago. It drives me crazy but it does not anymore. I could not find an answer in other questions.

On the server side, I create a pipe using

#define MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH 1024
SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES sa;
SECURITY_DESCRIPTOR sd;
InitializeSecurityDescriptor(&sd, SECURITY_DESCRIPTOR_REVISION);
SetSecurityDescriptorDacl(&sd, TRUE, static_cast(0), FALSE);

sa.nLength = sizeof(sa);
sa.lpSecurityDescriptor = &sd;
sa.bInheritHandle = FALSE;

auto pipe_name = _T("\\.\pipe\") + _serviceName;

HANDLE pipe = CreateNamedPipe(
    pipe_name.c_str(),
    PIPE_ACCESS_DUPLEX | FILE_FLAG_FIRST_PIPE_INSTANCE,
    PIPE_TYPE_MESSAGE | PIPE_READMODE_MESSAGE | PIPE_WAIT,
    1, 
    MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH, MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH, // buffer lengths (advisory)
    0, // default timeout of 50ms when WaitNamedPipe uses NMPWAIT_USE_DEFAULT_WAIT
    &sa));

Then a thread waits for incoming clients with ConnectNamedPipe. ConnectNamedPipe blocks until a client connects with

HANDLE pipe = CreateFile(
    pipe_name.c_str(),   // pipe name 
    GENERIC_READ |  // read and write access 
    GENERIC_WRITE,
    0,              // no sharing 
    NULL,           // default security attributes
    OPEN_EXISTING,  // opens existing pipe 
    FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, // default attributes 
    NULL);         // no template file

ConnectNamedPipe on the server then returns with TRUE and GetLastError == 0. But when it tries to call ReadFile to read incoming data on the pipe, ReadFile immediately returns FALSE and GetLastError==ERROR_BROKEN_PIPE. On client side, CreateFile has returned GetLastError==231, "All pipe instances are busy". Although it is the only client! A call to WaitNamedPipe(pipe, 2000)returns with error code 121, "The semaphore timeout period has expired". Increasing the number of allowed clients in CreateNamedPipe does not change anything.

It seems the pipe got completely broken in the moment the client tries to connect. But why? Both client and server run on the same machine with same user and even same session. Another call to ConnectNamedPipe then failed with GLE=232:"The pipe is being closed".

I also had other SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES for CreateNamedPipe, which shall allow for non-elevated users to connect, but that makes no difference.

Also I tried to use CallNamedPipe on the client with the same result.

Named pipe: ReadFile after ConnectNamedPipe return ERROR_BROKEN_PIPE

1 Answers