When deleting an array of dynamically allocated objects that inherit some base class, a pointer offset calculation is modified during the optimization process of a delete [] operator. The result is a subscript operation with a negative index and this causes the warning to be emitted (erroneously I believe).
This was determined by analyzing the tree dump. The file move_array.cpp.059t.dce2 has this code: D.2208_15 = D.2171_6 + -8; operator delete [] (D.2208_15); turn into this in move_array.cpp.060t.forwprop2: D.2208_15 = &(*D.2149_3)[-8]; operator delete [] (D.2208_15); -- Summary: warning "array subscript is below array bounds" on delete [] with -O2, -Wall Product: gcc Version: 4.4.0 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: middle-end AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: chris dot fairles at gmail dot com GCC build triplet: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu GCC host triplet: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu GCC target triplet: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=36633