[masklinn]

> compiles and runs just fine.

For fairly low values of those. Creating a null reference is UB, your program is not legal at all.

[coldtea]

If the compiler still accepts it, then that it belongs to the "UB" class of code is not much comfort.

The whole point is to NOT have it be accepted.

[jessaustin]

Sure, we're not supposed to do that. Sometimes it happens anyway, and the C++ compiler isn't much help in that case.