ADDITIONAL SYSTEM INFORMATION :
Windows 11, Ubuntu 22.94
Fails with:
build 22-ea+14-1033
build 21+35-2513
Works with:
openjdk version "17.0.8" 2023-07-18 LTS
OpenJDK Runtime Environment Zulu17.44+15-CA (build 17.0.8+7-LTS)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM Zulu17.44+15-CA (build 17.0.8+7-LTS, mixed mode, sharing)

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
When starting JFR in a running JVM with -Xverify:all, retransformation fails under certain circumstances with a verification error. In the attached sample, both the sleep and the configuration loading are required.

We have first discovered a JVMTI_ERROR_FAILS_VERIFICATION in a situation where JFR is initialized at start up together with a JVMTI agent, but this variant is not easily reproducible.

REGRESSION : Last worked in version 17.0.8

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
With JAVA_HOME set to a JDK 21 or 22, start

$JAVA_HOME/bin/java -Xverify:all JfrVerify.java

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Process returns with 0.
ACTUAL -
Terminates with

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.RuntimeException: JfrJvmtiAgent::retransformClasses failed: JVMTI_ERROR_FAILS_VERIFICATION
        at jdk.jfr/jdk.jfr.internal.JVM.retransformClasses(Native Method)
        at jdk.jfr/jdk.jfr.internal.SettingsManager.updateRetransform(SettingsManager.java:172)
        at jdk.jfr/jdk.jfr.internal.SettingsManager.setSettings(SettingsManager.java:152)
        at jdk.jfr/jdk.jfr.internal.MetadataRepository.setSettings(MetadataRepository.java:220)
        at jdk.jfr/jdk.jfr.internal.PlatformRecorder.updateSettingsButIgnoreRecording(PlatformRecorder.java:395)
        at jdk.jfr/jdk.jfr.internal.PlatformRecorder.updateSettings(PlatformRecorder.java:384)
        at jdk.jfr/jdk.jfr.internal.PlatformRecorder.start(PlatformRecorder.java:254)
        at jdk.jfr/jdk.jfr.internal.PlatformRecording.start(PlatformRecording.java:125)
        at jdk.jfr/jdk.jfr.Recording.start(Recording.java:177)
        at JfrVerify.main(JfrVerify.java:12)

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
--- JfrVerify.java -----------------------------------------------------------------
import jdk.jfr.Configuration;
import jdk.jfr.Recording;
import java.nio.file.Path;

public class JfrVerify {
    public static void main(String... args) throws Exception {
        Thread.sleep(10_000); // does not happen without the sleep
        System.err.println("STARTING JFR");
// does not happen without loading a configuration
        try (var recording = new Recording(Configuration.getConfiguration("default"))) {
            recording.setDestination(Path.of("test.jfr"));
            recording.start();
            Thread.sleep(5_000);
            recording.stop();
        }
    }
}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------- END SOURCE ----------

FREQUENCY : always