[PATCH] cpufreq: governor: fix double free in cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() error path

[PATCH] cpufreq: governor: fix double free in cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() error path

[Guangshuo Li]

When kobject_init_and_add() fails, cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() calls
kobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj).

The kobject release callback cpufreq_dbs_data_release() calls
gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data), but the current error path
then calls gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data) again, causing a
double free.

Keep the direct kfree(dbs_data) for the gov->init() failure path, but
after kobject_init_and_add() has been called, let kobject_put() handle
the cleanup through cpufreq_dbs_data_release().

Fixes: 4ebe36c94aed ("cpufreq: Fix kobject memleak")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Guangshuo Li <lgs201920130244@gmail.com>
---
 drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c | 6 +++---
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
index 1a7fcaf39cc9..3ad51a986781 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
@@ -468,13 +468,13 @@ int cpufreq_dbs_governor_init(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 	/* Failure, so roll back. */
 	pr_err("initialization failed (dbs_data kobject init error %d)\n", ret);
 
-	kobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj);
-
 	policy->governor_data = NULL;
 
 	if (!have_governor_per_policy())
 		gov->gdbs_data = NULL;
-	gov->exit(dbs_data);
+
+	kobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj);
+	goto free_policy_dbs_info;
 
 free_dbs_data:
 	kfree(dbs_data);
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH] cpufreq: governor: fix double free in cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() error path

[Zhongqiu Han]

On 4/1/2026 10:45 AM, Guangshuo Li wrote:
> When kobject_init_and_add() fails, cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() calls
> kobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj).
> 
> The kobject release callback cpufreq_dbs_data_release() calls
> gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data), but the current error path
> then calls gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data) again, causing a
> double free.
> 
> Keep the direct kfree(dbs_data) for the gov->init() failure path, but
> after kobject_init_and_add() has been called, let kobject_put() handle
> the cleanup through cpufreq_dbs_data_release().
> 
> Fixes: 4ebe36c94aed ("cpufreq: Fix kobject memleak")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Guangshuo Li <lgs201920130244@gmail.com>

Thanks for the good catch and fix — this aligns with an issue I noticed
recently and looks reasonable to me.

Reviewed-by: Zhongqiu Han <zhongqiu.han@oss.qualcomm.com>


> ---
>   drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c | 6 +++---
>   1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
> index 1a7fcaf39cc9..3ad51a986781 100644
> --- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
> +++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
> @@ -468,13 +468,13 @@ int cpufreq_dbs_governor_init(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
>   	/* Failure, so roll back. */
>   	pr_err("initialization failed (dbs_data kobject init error %d)\n", ret);
>   
> -	kobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj);
> -
>   	policy->governor_data = NULL;
>   
>   	if (!have_governor_per_policy())
>   		gov->gdbs_data = NULL;
> -	gov->exit(dbs_data);
> +
> +	kobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj);
> +	goto free_policy_dbs_info;
>   
>   free_dbs_data:
>   	kfree(dbs_data);


-- 
Thx and BRs,
Zhongqiu Han

Re: [PATCH] cpufreq: governor: fix double free in cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() error path

[Viresh Kumar]

On 01-04-26, 10:45, Guangshuo Li wrote:
> When kobject_init_and_add() fails, cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() calls
> kobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj).
> 
> The kobject release callback cpufreq_dbs_data_release() calls
> gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data), but the current error path
> then calls gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data) again, causing a
> double free.
> 
> Keep the direct kfree(dbs_data) for the gov->init() failure path, but
> after kobject_init_and_add() has been called, let kobject_put() handle
> the cleanup through cpufreq_dbs_data_release().
> 
> Fixes: 4ebe36c94aed ("cpufreq: Fix kobject memleak")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Guangshuo Li <lgs201920130244@gmail.com>
> ---
>  drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c | 6 +++---
>  1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

Acked-by: Viresh Kumar <viresh.kumar@linaro.org>

-- 
viresh

Re: [PATCH] cpufreq: governor: fix double free in cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() error path

[Rafael J. Wysocki]

On Wed, Apr 1, 2026 at 8:23 AM Viresh Kumar <viresh.kumar@linaro.org> wrote:
>
> On 01-04-26, 10:45, Guangshuo Li wrote:
> > When kobject_init_and_add() fails, cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() calls
> > kobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj).
> >
> > The kobject release callback cpufreq_dbs_data_release() calls
> > gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data), but the current error path
> > then calls gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data) again, causing a
> > double free.
> >
> > Keep the direct kfree(dbs_data) for the gov->init() failure path, but
> > after kobject_init_and_add() has been called, let kobject_put() handle
> > the cleanup through cpufreq_dbs_data_release().
> >
> > Fixes: 4ebe36c94aed ("cpufreq: Fix kobject memleak")
> > Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> > Signed-off-by: Guangshuo Li <lgs201920130244@gmail.com>
> > ---
> >  drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c | 6 +++---
> >  1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>
> Acked-by: Viresh Kumar <viresh.kumar@linaro.org>

Applied as 7.0-rc material, thanks!