# GNU Coreutils seq fix prevents infinite loops at floating point limits

> **Key takeaway:** A logic update in the seq command ensures proper termination when handling floating-point numbers near their maximum limits.

**Published:** 2026-11-02T23:42:42+00:00 
**Source:** GNU Coreutils Releases & Commits 
**Category:** system-core 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/gnu-coreutils-seq-fix-prevents-infinite-loops-at-floating-po.html 

## Summary
The GNU Coreutils project has implemented a fix for the seq utility to address potential issues when generating sequences using floating-point numbers. The update specifically targets edge cases where rounding effects could interfere with the command's ability to reach its termination condition.

This change was identified by Anthropic's OSS Scanner and tracked as bug ANT-2026-RI0OLUBX. The patch modifies the internal logic of the dump_strings function and introduces additional sanity checks to ensure the iteration process remains stable.

## Technical changes in seq.c
- **Logic Rearrangement:** The developer rearranged limit checks within the dump_strings function to minimize the impact of floating-point rounding errors.
- **Iteration Safety:** A new sanity check was added to validate the iteration number limit, preventing uncontrolled loops.
- **Test Coverage:** The update includes a new test case, seq-no-progress.sh, to verify that the utility terminates correctly when progress cannot be made.
- **Bug Tracking:** The fix addresses a specific vulnerability/bug identified by Anthropic's OSS Scanner (ANT-2026-RI0OLUBX).

## Why it matters
As a fundamental component of nearly every Linux and Unix-like system, stability in GNU Coreutils is critical for shell scripting and automation. This fix prevents potential hangs or infinite loops in scripts that rely on seq for high-precision or large-scale numerical iterations.