[PATCH] tpm: Use kfree_sensitive() to free auth session in tpm_dev_release()

[PATCH] tpm: Use kfree_sensitive() to free auth session in tpm_dev_release()

[Gunnar Kudrjavets]

tpm_dev_release() uses plain kfree() to free chip->auth, which contains
sensitive cryptographic material including HMAC session keys, nonces,
and passphrase data (struct tpm2_auth).

Every other code path that frees this structure uses kfree_sensitive()
to zero the memory before releasing it: both tpm2_end_auth_session()
and tpm_buf_check_hmac_response() do so. The tpm_dev_release() path
is the only one that does not, leaving key material in freed slab
memory until it is eventually overwritten.

Use kfree_sensitive() for consistency with the rest of the driver and
to ensure session keys are scrubbed during device teardown.

Fixes: 699e3efd6c64 ("tpm: Add HMAC session start and end functions")
Signed-off-by: Gunnar Kudrjavets <gunnarku@amazon.com>
Reviewed-by: Justinien Bouron <jbouron@amazon.com>
---
 drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c b/drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c
index 082b910ddf0d..17d9d71774ec 100644
--- a/drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c
+++ b/drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ static void tpm_dev_release(struct device *dev)
 	kfree(chip->work_space.context_buf);
 	kfree(chip->work_space.session_buf);
 #ifdef CONFIG_TCG_TPM2_HMAC
-	kfree(chip->auth);
+	kfree_sensitive(chip->auth);
 #endif
 	kfree(chip);
 }

base-commit: 03e5553f5fb99cb47c315e167a604a9c69e6f724
-- 
2.47.3

Re: [PATCH] tpm: Use kfree_sensitive() to free auth session in tpm_dev_release()

[Jarkko Sakkinen]

On Thu, Apr 09, 2026 at 05:20:54PM +0000, Gunnar Kudrjavets wrote:
> tpm_dev_release() uses plain kfree() to free chip->auth, which contains
> sensitive cryptographic material including HMAC session keys, nonces,
> and passphrase data (struct tpm2_auth).
> 
> Every other code path that frees this structure uses kfree_sensitive()
> to zero the memory before releasing it: both tpm2_end_auth_session()
> and tpm_buf_check_hmac_response() do so. The tpm_dev_release() path
> is the only one that does not, leaving key material in freed slab
> memory until it is eventually overwritten.
> 
> Use kfree_sensitive() for consistency with the rest of the driver and
> to ensure session keys are scrubbed during device teardown.
> 
> Fixes: 699e3efd6c64 ("tpm: Add HMAC session start and end functions")
> Signed-off-by: Gunnar Kudrjavets <gunnarku@amazon.com>
> Reviewed-by: Justinien Bouron <jbouron@amazon.com>
> ---
>  drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c | 2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c b/drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c
> index 082b910ddf0d..17d9d71774ec 100644
> --- a/drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c
> +++ b/drivers/char/tpm/tpm-chip.c
> @@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ static void tpm_dev_release(struct device *dev)
>  	kfree(chip->work_space.context_buf);
>  	kfree(chip->work_space.session_buf);
>  #ifdef CONFIG_TCG_TPM2_HMAC
> -	kfree(chip->auth);
> +	kfree_sensitive(chip->auth);
>  #endif
>  	kfree(chip);
>  }
> 
> base-commit: 03e5553f5fb99cb47c315e167a604a9c69e6f724
> -- 
> 2.47.3
> 

Applied.

Reviewed-by: Jarkko Sakkinen <jarkko@kernel.org>

BR, Jarkko