[v22.x backport] test_runner: avoid hanging on incomplete v8 frames

[P4suta]

Backport #62704 and #64706 together to v22.x-staging to fix test-runner hangs and deserialization errors triggered by binary child stdout.

This follows up on #64706 (comment).

Why backport to Maintenance LTS

In #62693, child stdout containing FF 0F 7F FF FF FF leaves the parent test runner spinning while draining an incomplete V8 frame. The hang can stall CI even with --test-force-exit; the report also documents that the runner's timeout and SIGTERM cannot recover it. #64061 documents an Appium CI failure in the same deserialization path.

Both fixes have shipped in Current for more than two weeks: #62704 in v26.2.0 (May 20), and #64706 in v26.7.0 (August 5). They are also released in v24.18.0 and v24.20.0 respectively. This backport changes only the deserializer and its existing regression test, with no new public API.

Backport details

• Apply debe2ed2efd377d301282e4c64489ca2a9d7b028 (test_runner: avoid hanging on incomplete v8 frames #62704), then 1ba3ce45bfa872956d0fd03ff5023e8a93768be3 (test_runner: convert to uint during deserialization #64706), preserving the two original commits' authors and messages.
• test_runner: avoid hanging on incomplete v8 frames #62704 adds EOF/no-progress recovery and preserves partial V8 headers. test_runner: convert to uint during deserialization #64706 reads frame lengths as unsigned integers. Applying test_runner: convert to uint during deserialization #64706 alone on v22 would leave high-bit lengths waiting for incomplete frames and expose the drain hang fixed by test_runner: avoid hanging on incomplete v8 frames #62704.
• The only manual conflict resolution adds StringFromCharCode without the unrelated String import present on main. The test changes merge into v22's existing setup. git range-diff shows only those surrounding context differences. Changes are limited to lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js and test/parallel/test-runner-v8-deserializer.mjs.

Validation

Base: 839480a471e0f5dfe6dd2a6255ad66ddd99e3c14 (v22.x-staging, v22.23.3-pre). Environment: Linux x64, GCC 13.3.0, Python 3.12.3.

Built the unchanged base and each backport revision locally. The regression test is test/parallel/test-runner-v8-deserializer.mjs.

Revision	Regression tests	FF 0F 7F FF FF FF stdout	FF 0F 80 00 00 00 stdout
Unchanged base	31 passed	Hangs; SIGKILL required	Exits with failure
#62704 only	36 passed	Passes	Exits with failure
Both backports	37 passed	Passes	Passes

Both binary-stdout cases were checked with --test and with --test --test-force-exit. An external timeout bounded the baseline hangs. A direct FileTest.parseMessage() check also confirmed the unsigned case's deserialization error on the unchanged base.

• /usr/bin/python3 tools/test.py -j4 --abort-on-timeout -p tap '*/test-runner-*': passed (55 cases, including 1 built-in skip).
• make lint PYTHON=/usr/bin/python3 CPPLINT_QUIET='--quiet --repository=.' JOBS=4: passed. The repository override prevents cpplint from using the enclosing checkout when checking header guards; it does not disable those checks.
• make -j4 test PYTHON=/usr/bin/python3 JOBS=4 TEST_CI_ARGS='--abort-on-timeout -p tap': passed (exit 0). All 4,731 JavaScript/addon cases completed without unexpected failures, including 39 built-in skips. C++ tests (164), doctool tests (7), and tool tests (5) also passed.

Runtime tests ran outside the execution sandbox, with NO_COLOR, FORCE_COLOR, and NODE_DISABLE_COLORS unset. The final full run also used TERM=xterm-256color. Inherited NO_COLOR=1 caused two color-output failures, and TERM=dumb caused nine REPL failures in the first full run. Both sets reproduced on the unchanged base and passed there with the corrected environment, and all passed in the final full backport run. No test or snapshot changes were made for these environment issues.

Could a backporter apply the appropriate v22 backport labels to the original PRs, and could a collaborator or triager start full CI for this PR?

Refs: #62704
Refs: #64706
Refs: #62693
Refs: #64061

[nodejs-github-bot]

Review requested:

• @nodejs/test_runner

[github-actions]

Welcome to Node.js, and thank you for your first contribution!

Before review, please take a moment to read:

• the guide for first-time contributors
• the contribution and automation policies
• the pull request guide
• the AI use policy
• the Code of Conduct

Please make sure every commit is signed off. For a first pull request, GitHub Actions require collaborator approval and Jenkins CI must be started by a collaborator or triager, so an initial wait is normal.