Which scenario can lead to a stack overflow?

A stack overflow typically occurs when there are too many function calls active at the same time, which can happen in particular with recursive function calls. When a function calls itself, each call consumes a certain amount of stack space to hold its local variables and state. If the recursion is too deep — meaning the function calls itself too many times without reaching a base case that stops the recursion — the stack space can eventually be exhausted. This leads to a stack overflow error, as there is no more stack memory available to handle additional function calls.

In this scenario, a program trying to execute a recursive function that does not have a proper termination condition or that runs too long can drastically increase the call stack, leading to this overflow. Thus, this option correctly identifies a situation that directly contributes to a stack overflow. Understanding recursion and its limits is crucial for managing memory effectively in programming to avoid such issues.