René's URL Explorer Experiment

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"`SIGTERM` killing an invalid `node:child_process` spawn terminates main process","articleBody":"> [!TIP]\n> Rewritten by @avivkeller\n\n### Version\n\nv24.19.0, v26.6.0\n\n### Platform\n\n```text\nmacOS Darwin\n```\n\n### Subsystem\n\n`node:child_process`\n\n### What steps will reproduce the bug?\n\nRunning `.kill('SIGTERM')` on an invalid `child_process` spawn results in the termination of the main Node.js process (the caller)\n\nFor instance, running `require('child_process').spawn('whoami').kill('SIGTERM');`.\n\n### How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?\n\nEvery time.\n\n### What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?\n\nNode.js should abort killing since `.pid` will be `0`.\n\n\u003cdetails>\n\u003csummary>Original Issue\u003c/summary>\n\n### Version\n\nv24.18.0\n\n### Platform\n\n```text\nmacOS Darwin\n```\n\n### Subsystem\n\n_No response_\n\n### What steps will reproduce the bug?\n\nHi, \n\nI would like to report a bug that happens only on macOS. When run the code snippet below, the main process gets terminated: \n\n```javascript\nvar {spawn} = require('child_process');\n\nArray.prototype[Symbol.iterator] = function* () {};\nvar proc = spawn(\"ts-node\", [\"--version\"]); //or any other non-OS native command, e.g., brew --version  \nconsole.log(\"subprocess forked\");\nproc.kill('SIGTERM');\nconsole.log(\"Killed Subprocess\");\n```\n\n### How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?\n\nIt's a permanent effect \n\n### What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?\n\nTo kill the child process only \n\n\n### What do you see instead?\n\nI get the following output: \n\n```shell\nsubprocess forked\nzsh: terminated  node test.js\n```\n\n### Additional information\n\n_No response_\n\n\u003c/details>","author":{"url":"https://github.com/vdata1","@type":"Person","name":"vdata1"},"datePublished":"2026-08-05T16:20:34Z","url":"https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/65052"}