FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.6.0_19"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_19-b04)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 16.2-b04, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Since we upgraded to JDK 1.6.0_19 we are experiencing OutOfMemory exceptions. Reverting back to JDK 1.6.0_11 solves these.

Doing a Google search yielded many others having problems. Specifically this page is interesting:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2497720/memory-leak-of-java-lang-ref-weakreference-objects-inside-jdk-classes

It has a very small sample app that reproduces this problem on JDK versions 1.6.0_18, 1.6.0_19 and 1.6.0_20. See Source code for an executable test case.

The problem cannot be reproduced on 1.6.0_17, according to one of the comments there. I have not tried that myself.


STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Run the sample application with these java arguments:
-Xms8m -Xmx8m -XX:MaxPermSize=8m
After 10 - 15 minutes it will produce an OutOfMemoryError.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
No OutOfMemoryError should occur.
ACTUAL -
>time
The current time is: 15:03:39,07

>java.exe -Xms8m -Xmx8m -XX:MaxPermSize=8m FillHeap
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
        at java.util.Arrays.copyOf(Arrays.java:2760)
        at java.util.Arrays.copyOf(Arrays.java:2734)
        at java.util.ArrayList.ensureCapacity(ArrayList.java:167)
        at java.util.ArrayList.add(ArrayList.java:351)
        at java.util.logging.Logger.doSetParent(Logger.java:1385)
        at java.util.logging.Logger.getAnonymousLogger(Logger.java:346)
        at FillHeap.main(FillHeap.java:21)

>time
The current time is: 15:17:14,55

(It took actually a bit less time but I took some time myself before I noticed that it was 'done' already)

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
RESULTS of consecutive jmap command invocations:

>time
The current time is: 14:51:01,22

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 28948 1852672 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 28954 694896 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:51:08,78

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 31854 2038656 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 31860 764640 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:51:13,79

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 34089 2181696 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 34095 818280 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:51:41,92

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 37420 2394880 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 48704 1168896 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:51:46,55

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 40480 2590720 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 51764 1242336 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:51:53,47

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 45434 2907776 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 56718 1361232 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:52:24,44

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 59179 3787456 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 70463 1691112 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:52:29,38

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 61119 3911616 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 72403 1737672 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:52:32,55

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 63794 4082816 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 75078 1801872 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:52:59,13

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 70875 4536000 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 88639 2127336 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:53:04,97

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 73063 4676032 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 90827 2179848 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:53:08,66

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 76206 4877184 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 93970 2255280 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:53:34,41

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 88078 5636992 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 105842 2540208 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:53:38,97

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 90672 5803008 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 108436 2602464 java.lang.ref.WeakReference

>time
The current time is: 14:53:43,85

>jmap -histo 2920

 num #instances #bytes class name
----------------------------------------------
   1: 94031 6017984 java.util.logging.Logger
   2: 111795 2683080 java.lang.ref.WeakReference


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public class FillHeap
{
  /**
   * Abuses an error in JVM 1.6.0_18, 1.6.0_19 or 1.6.0_20 to force an OutOfMemoryError.
   *
   * @param args none
   *
   * @throws java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
   */
  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception
  {
    while (true)
    {
      java.util.logging.Logger.getAnonymousLogger();
      Thread.sleep(1);
    }
  }
}

---------- END SOURCE ----------

Release Regression From : 6u17
The above release value was the last known release where this
bug was not reproducible. Since then there has been a regression.