How to handle defunct processes

We started building our own servers on RHL 7.3. We recently rebuilt a current server that was RHL 6.1 to RHL 7.3. On 6.1, we didn't have this issue (we didn't build the server, our data center did).

Now, on this 7.3 server (which we built), we are getting many many of these types of listings in ps aux

root 32169 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z 16:34 0:00 [perl5.8.0 <defunct>]
root 32417 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z 16:37 0:00 [perl5.8.0 <defunct>]
admin 32580 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z 16:39 0:00 [env2.cgi <defunct>]
root 431 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z 16:42 0:00 [perl5.8.0 <defunct>]
root 562 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z 16:43 0:00 [perl5.8.0 <defunct>]
admin 600 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z 16:44 0:00 [env2.cgi <defunct>]
triplewm 1102 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z 16:48 0:00 [webepanelpw.cgi <defunct>]
admin 1207 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z 16:49 0:00 [env2.cgi <defunct>]

I have tried searching goole and whatnot, and it all comes back to that the parent didn't properly call exit and/or wait on the child.

My question is, is there a patch I need to compile into Apache that make this work properly?

I know the defunct processes don't cause any real issue until there are a whole bunch, but would like to have them cleared out properly for easier reading of ps aux.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

David Hasbrouck

 

 

 

 

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