core dump in _int_free ... at malloc.c:3902 ... all executables

Question

I am running ubuntu (16.10) (guest) in virtualbox (5.1.18) on windows 10 (host)

I have downloaded festival tts code from respective sites and trying to build it on this setup.

Code get built without any hitch whatsoever.

However at run time, all the executables crash and dump core.

I then enabled debug for the build (gcc -g) and ran the exec in gdb. After the crash in gdb, I see this pattern when I do where... (This pattern is same for all the crashing executables)

Example 1.
Command : gdb ./xml_example
(gdb) where
#0  0xb7fd9d05 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
#1  0xb7c9a050 in __libc_signal_restore_set (set=0xbfffeeb0)
    at ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/nptl-signals.h:79
#2  __GI_raise (sig=6) at ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/raise.c:55
#3  0xb7c9b577 in __GI_abort () at abort.c:89
#4  0xb7cd5f0f in __libc_message (do_abort=<optimized out>, fmt=<optimized out>)
    at ../sysdeps/posix/libc_fatal.c:175
#5  0xb7cdcb07 in malloc_printerr (action=<optimized out>,
    str=0xb7dd1b60 "free(): invalid next size (fast)", ptr=<optimized out>,
    ar_ptr=0xb7e24780 <main_arena>) at malloc.c:5046
#6  0xb7cdd3c6 in _int_free (av=0xb7e24780 <main_arena>, p=0x8088ed8, have_lock=0) at malloc.c:3902
#7  0x0804b012 in XML_Parser_Class::try_and_open(entity*) ()
#8  0x08061135 in ParseDtd ()
#9  0x08063b81 in parse ()
#10 0x08063de7 in ReadXBit ()
#11 0x0804b419 in XML_Parser::go() ()
#12 0x08049866 in main () at xml_example.cc:132

Example 2
Command : gdb ./string_example
(gdb) where
#0  0xb7fd9d05 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
#1  0xb7c9a050 in __libc_signal_restore_set (set=0xbfffefa0)
    at ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/nptl-signals.h:79
#2  __GI_raise (sig=6) at ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/raise.c:55
#3  0xb7c9b577 in __GI_abort () at abort.c:89
#4  0xb7cd5f0f in __libc_message (do_abort=<optimized out>, fmt=<optimized out>)
    at ../sysdeps/posix/libc_fatal.c:175
#5  0xb7cdcb07 in malloc_printerr (action=<optimized out>,
    str=0xb7dd1b60 "free(): invalid next size (fast)", ptr=<optimized out>,
    ar_ptr=0xb7e24780 <main_arena>) at malloc.c:5046
#6  0xb7cdd3c6 in _int_free (av=0xb7e24780 <main_arena>, p=0x805e0a0, have_lock=0) at malloc.c:3902
#7  0x0804e328 in EST_String::unquote(char) const ()
#8  0x0804e8eb in EST_String::unquote_if_needed(char) const ()
#9  0x0804936e in main () at string_example.cc:90

Example 3
Command : gdb ./list_example
(gdb) where
#0  0xb7fd9d05 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
#1  0xb7c9a050 in __libc_signal_restore_set (set=0xbffff080)
    at ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/nptl-signals.h:79
#2  __GI_raise (sig=6) at ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/raise.c:55
#3  0xb7c9b577 in __GI_abort () at abort.c:89
#4  0xb7cd5f0f in __libc_message (do_abort=<optimized out>, fmt=<optimized out>)
    at ../sysdeps/posix/libc_fatal.c:175
#5  0xb7cdcb07 in malloc_printerr (action=<optimized out>,
    str=0xb7dd1b60 "free(): invalid next size (fast)", ptr=<optimized out>,
    ar_ptr=0xb7e24780 <main_arena>) at malloc.c:5046
#6  0xb7cdd3c6 in _int_free (av=0xb7e24780 <main_arena>, p=0x80611c0, have_lock=0) at malloc.c:3902
#7  0x0804b601 in EST_TItem<EST_String>::release(EST_TItem<EST_String>*) ()
#8  0x0804a2d0 in EST_UList::clear_and_free(void (*)(EST_UItem*)) ()
#9  0x0804964c in EST_TList<EST_String>::~EST_TList (this=0xbffff574, __in_chrg=<optimized out>)
    at ../include/EST_TList.h:122
#10 main () at list_example.cc:65

Clearly this has something to do with my set up because, 1. This is not my code and this code is being used world-over without any issue! 2. I have recently made changes to the guest linux by increasing root partition size.

Please let me know if I need to provide any more details.

Please let me know any guideline, so that I can proceed to fix this issue.

Thanks in advance.