[PATCH net] net: liquidio: Fix memory leak in setup_nic_devices()

[PATCH net] net: liquidio: Fix memory leak in setup_nic_devices()

[Zilin Guan]

In setup_nic_devices(), the netdev is allocated using alloc_etherdev_mq().
However, the pointer to this structure is stored in oct->props[i].netdev
only after the calls to netif_set_real_num_rx_queues() and
netif_set_real_num_tx_queues().

If either of these functions fails, setup_nic_devices() returns an error
without freeing the allocated netdev. Since oct->props[i].netdev is still
NULL at this point, the cleanup function liquidio_destroy_nic_device()
will fail to find and free the netdev, resulting in a memory leak.

Fix this by initializing oct->props[i].netdev before calling the queue
setup functions. This ensures that the netdev is properly accessible for
cleanup in case of errors.

Compile tested only. Issue found using a prototype static analysis tool
and code review.

Fixes: c33c997346c3 ("liquidio: enhanced ethtool --set-channels feature")
Signed-off-by: Zilin Guan <zilin@seu.edu.cn>
---
 .../net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c   | 20 +++++++++----------
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
index 0732440eeacd..efb11edb95d7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
@@ -3505,6 +3505,16 @@ static int setup_nic_devices(struct octeon_device *octeon_dev)
 		 */
 		netdev->netdev_ops = &lionetdevops;
 
+		lio = GET_LIO(netdev);
+
+		memset(lio, 0, sizeof(struct lio));
+
+		lio->ifidx = ifidx_or_pfnum;
+
+		props = &octeon_dev->props[i];
+		props->gmxport = resp->cfg_info.linfo.gmxport;
+		props->netdev = netdev;
+
 		retval = netif_set_real_num_rx_queues(netdev, num_oqueues);
 		if (retval) {
 			dev_err(&octeon_dev->pci_dev->dev,
@@ -3521,16 +3531,6 @@ static int setup_nic_devices(struct octeon_device *octeon_dev)
 			goto setup_nic_dev_free;
 		}
 
-		lio = GET_LIO(netdev);
-
-		memset(lio, 0, sizeof(struct lio));
-
-		lio->ifidx = ifidx_or_pfnum;
-
-		props = &octeon_dev->props[i];
-		props->gmxport = resp->cfg_info.linfo.gmxport;
-		props->netdev = netdev;
-
 		lio->linfo.num_rxpciq = num_oqueues;
 		lio->linfo.num_txpciq = num_iqueues;
 		for (j = 0; j < num_oqueues; j++) {
-- 
2.34.1

Re: [PATCH net] net: liquidio: Fix memory leak in setup_nic_devices()

[Simon Horman]

On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 07:29:33AM +0000, Zilin Guan wrote:
> In setup_nic_devices(), the netdev is allocated using alloc_etherdev_mq().
> However, the pointer to this structure is stored in oct->props[i].netdev
> only after the calls to netif_set_real_num_rx_queues() and
> netif_set_real_num_tx_queues().
> 
> If either of these functions fails, setup_nic_devices() returns an error
> without freeing the allocated netdev. Since oct->props[i].netdev is still
> NULL at this point, the cleanup function liquidio_destroy_nic_device()
> will fail to find and free the netdev, resulting in a memory leak.
> 
> Fix this by initializing oct->props[i].netdev before calling the queue
> setup functions. This ensures that the netdev is properly accessible for
> cleanup in case of errors.
> 
> Compile tested only. Issue found using a prototype static analysis tool
> and code review.
> 
> Fixes: c33c997346c3 ("liquidio: enhanced ethtool --set-channels feature")
> Signed-off-by: Zilin Guan <zilin@seu.edu.cn>

Thanks Zilin,

I agree with your analysis, and proposed fix.
And that the problem appears to have been introduced in the cited commit.

But I am wondering if we also need the following, probably as a separate
commit, to ensure that liquidio_destroy_nic_device is called for the
element of props[i] whose assingment your patch addresses.

Also compile tested only.

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
index 0732440eeacd..3ba2806f5d1e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
@@ -3765,11 +3765,11 @@ static int setup_nic_devices(struct octeon_device *octeon_dev)
 
 setup_nic_dev_free:
 
-	while (i--) {
+	do {
 		dev_err(&octeon_dev->pci_dev->dev,
 			"NIC ifidx:%d Setup failed\n", i);
 		liquidio_destroy_nic_device(octeon_dev, i);
-	}
+	} while (i--);
 
 setup_nic_dev_done:

...

Re: [PATCH net] net: liquidio: Fix memory leak in setup_nic_devices()

[Zilin Guan]

On Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 05:21:11PM +0000, Simon Horman wrote:
> Thanks Zilin,
> 
> I agree with your analysis, and proposed fix.
> And that the problem appears to have been introduced in the cited commit.
> 
> But I am wondering if we also need the following, probably as a separate
> commit, to ensure that liquidio_destroy_nic_device is called for the
> element of props[i] whose assingment your patch addresses.
> 
> Also compile tested only.
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
> index 0732440eeacd..3ba2806f5d1e 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_main.c
> @@ -3765,11 +3765,11 @@ static int setup_nic_devices(struct octeon_device *octeon_dev)
>  
>  setup_nic_dev_free:
>  
> -	while (i--) {
> +	do {
>  		dev_err(&octeon_dev->pci_dev->dev,
>  			"NIC ifidx:%d Setup failed\n", i);
>  		liquidio_destroy_nic_device(octeon_dev, i);
> -	}
> +	} while (i--);
>  
>  setup_nic_dev_done:
> 
> ...

Hi Simon,

Thanks for the review and the suggestion.

I agree with you. The current while (i--) loop indeed skips the cleanup 
for the device index i that actually failed. I also noticed that 
lio_vf_main.c shares the exact same issues.

I'll send a v2 series to correct both files, and I'll include the loop fix 
as a separate commit as you suggested.

Best regards,
Zilin