module unsafe for SAFESEH image C++

Question

I am using Microsoft Visual Studio 2011 Professional Beta

I am trying to run the OpenCV C++ files (http://opencv.willowgarage.com/wiki/Welcome) that I have compiled using cMake & the Visual Studio Complier.

However when I go to debug the project I get 600+ errors most of them being:

error LNK2026: module unsafe for SAFESEH image.

Apparently these files are in the opencv_ffmpeg project but I couldn't find them, I have had a look at the safeseh Safe Exception Handlers page on the Microsoft help page but I couldn't find any definitive answers.

I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if they managed to fix it.

This happens when you link an .obj or .lib that contains code created by an earlier version of the compiler. Which of course would be common if you downloaded a binary for opencv_ffmpeg instead of the source. You can turn the linker option off but then you'll still have a CRT version incompatibility that can byte. Rebuild the library from source. — Hans Passant, May 15 '12 at 13:01
The obvious thing: ask the owner of the code to provide you with an update. — Hans Passant, Sep 30 '12 at 15:58
@HansPassant I hope the supplier is still around to make an update. Sounds like a "truck factor of one" kind of problem. — GregC, Sep 30 '12 at 16:04
@HansPassant I have the source code of a project the owner left behind. In my case, the owner disappeared without a trace. No one knows the owner's whereabouts. I'm looking into updating the project to VS2012. Perhaps you might know how to update the codes, right? If not, whom should I consult? Thanks. — tom_mai78101, Oct 02 '12 at 17:43

score 151 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 03 '13 at 16:36

151

Disabling option "Image has Safe Exception Handlers" in Project properties -> Configuration Properties -> Linker -> Advanced tab helped me.

answered Nov 03 '13 at 16:36

Zhenya

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This had no effect for me. – Pop-A-Stash Jan 16 '15 at 17:04
Likewise for me. The catch seems to be that, although I can choose SAFESEH:NO in the Advanced Options submenu under the linker settings, it will not stay chosen. It always reverts back to SAFESEH:YES. – user382459 Apr 21 '16 at 22:17
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Success, with VS 2013 Express – gbarry Sep 08 '17 at 20:12
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Success, VS 2015 – May 04 '18 at 15:16
1

Success, VS 2012 – themadmax Jul 05 '18 at 07:27
4

Success, VS 2017 – ke4ktz May 06 '19 at 13:44
1

Success, VS 2019 – AlainD Mar 09 '20 at 14:02
[Documentation for /SAFESEH (Image has Safe Exception Handlers)](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/reference/safeseh-image-has-safe-exception-handlers) – Miscreant Oct 22 '20 at 19:56

score 64 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 19 '12 at 18:51

64

From the comments:

This happens when you link an .obj or .lib that contains code created by an earlier version of the compiler. Which of course would be common if you downloaded a binary for opencv_ffmpeg instead of the source. You can turn the linker option off but then you'll still have a CRT version incompatibility that can byte. Rebuild the library from source. – Hans Passant May 15 at 13:01

Thanks for the help, it worked – Aaron Thompson May 17 at 14:50

answered Oct 19 '12 at 18:51

Bo Persson

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It can also be caused by, as the error states, modules for which the linker can't find safe exception handlers. Assembly language modules in particular - as discussed in other answers. There is some info about this [here](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-nz/cpp/build/reference/safeseh-image-has-safe-exception-handlers). – Nick Westgate Jul 05 '17 at 22:17

score 13 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 27 '17 at 10:03

13

If you got this error while building ZLIB in Visual Studio here is the solution. Look for contrib\masmx86\bld_ml32.bat and add /safeseh as a option

Before

ml /coff /Zi /c /Flmatch686.lst match686.asm
ml /coff /Zi /c /Flinffas32.lst inffas32.asm

After

ml /safeseh /coff /Zi /c /Flmatch686.lst match686.asm
ml /safeseh /coff /Zi /c /Flinffas32.lst inffas32.asm

answered Nov 27 '17 at 10:03

Nayana Adassuriya

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I had the same problem with zlib, but had to change props on the `.asm` files in the solution explorer instead. – Cillié Malan Jul 04 '18 at 09:42

DitherSky · Answer 4 · 2014-09-10T16:54:58.027

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Other way is to add some SEH handler (empty for example) to asm files and compile them with /safeseh option, then compile other code normally with /SAFESEH:YES compiler option.

Empty SEH handler:

.safeseh SEH_handler

SEH_handler   proc
;handler
ret

SEH_handler   endp

edited Sep 10 '14 at 16:54

answered Sep 10 '14 at 16:48

DitherSky

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I didn't bother adding a handler to the 3rd party source (zlib), `/safeseh` seems enough. This really should be upvoted! – mlt Nov 25 '15 at 23:28
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Anyone having same problems with zlib see this (CTRL + F safeseh) http://www.tannerhelland.com/5076/compile-zlib-winapi-wapi-stdcall/ – codekiddy Nov 30 '15 at 22:21
I have added "/safeseh" to the command line in the properties for the .asm file and this worked. – Norbert Boros Aug 05 '20 at 09:15

Bob Stine · Answer 5 · 2017-05-15T18:50:08.480

0

Your mileage may vary, but none of the above suggestions worked for me (although I did not try rolling my own asm exception handler).

What did work was to select build target Release/x64.

I am running Windows 10 on a 64-bit machine, and using Visual Studio 2015.

The target Release/Win32 works, too. I guess the main thing is to pick "Release".

edited May 15 '17 at 18:50

answered May 15 '17 at 18:38

Bob Stine

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module unsafe for SAFESEH image C++

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