I think I've found something that resembles a memory leak in phoenix-1.48.
I know it's not the most recent version of phoenix, but it's the one I have cooked now - people on forum seem to be complaining about it:
http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=6458.600
So, the leak seems to be affected by the choice of the pool - which means it's unlikely something to do with the AMD SDK version (11.4 here).
Code:
root@node02:~# ps aux | grep phoenix
root 368 0.6 13.6 411212 138972 pts/7 Ssl+ Jul02 12:53 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot_nodeB3:supersecret@btcguild.com:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=2 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32556 0.3 7.3 355028 74920 pts/4 Ssl+ Jul02 7:22 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot.node2_1:supersecret@api.bitcoin.cz:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=0 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32628 0.4 7.4 354804 76144 pts/5 Ssl+ Jul02 9:27 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot.node2_2:supersecret@api.bitcoin.cz:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=1 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32661 0.4 7.4 354804 75744 pts/6 Ssl+ Jul02 9:55 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot.node2_3:supersecret@api.bitcoin.cz:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=2 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32703 0.4 12.0 419708 123136 pts/9 Ssl+ Jul02 9:30 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot_nodeB1:supersecret@btcguild.com:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=0 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32752 0.6 13.4 424524 137260 pts/8 Ssl+ Jul02 12:31 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot_nodeB2:supersecret@btcguild.com:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=1 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 368 0.6 13.6 411212 138972 pts/7 Ssl+ Jul02 12:53 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot_nodeB3:supersecret@btcguild.com:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=2 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32556 0.3 7.3 355028 74920 pts/4 Ssl+ Jul02 7:22 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot.node2_1:supersecret@api.bitcoin.cz:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=0 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32628 0.4 7.4 354804 76144 pts/5 Ssl+ Jul02 9:27 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot.node2_2:supersecret@api.bitcoin.cz:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=1 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32661 0.4 7.4 354804 75744 pts/6 Ssl+ Jul02 9:55 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot.node2_3:supersecret@api.bitcoin.cz:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=2 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32703 0.4 12.0 419708 123136 pts/9 Ssl+ Jul02 9:30 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot_nodeB1:supersecret@btcguild.com:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=0 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
root 32752 0.6 13.4 424524 137260 pts/8 Ssl+ Jul02 12:31 /usr/bin/python ./phoenix.py -v -u http://qdot_nodeB2:supersecret@btcguild.com:8332/ -v -k phatk DEVICE=1 VECTORS BFI_INT AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=128
As you can see, it only leeks on btcguild - for some reason slush's pool keeps the miners immune from this issue.. any differences between the two?