[PATCH v2] ice: fix double free in ice_sf_eth_activate() error path

From: Guangshuo Li

Date: Thu Mar 19 2026 - 10:00:58 EST


When auxiliary_device_add() fails, ice_sf_eth_activate() jumps to
aux_dev_uninit and calls auxiliary_device_uninit(&sf_dev->adev).

The device release callback ice_sf_dev_release() frees sf_dev, but
the current error path falls through to sf_dev_free and calls
kfree(sf_dev) again, causing a double free.

Keep kfree(sf_dev) for the auxiliary_device_init() failure path, but
avoid falling through to sf_dev_free after auxiliary_device_uninit().

Fixes: 13acc5c4cdbe ("ice: subfunction activation and base devlink ops")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reviewed-by: Aleksandr Loktionov <aleksandr.loktionov@xxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Guangshuo Li <lgs201920130244@xxxxxxxxx>
---
v2:
- replace goto xa_erase with return err after auxiliary_device_uninit()
- avoid xa_erase() in the auxiliary_device_uninit() path since it is already
done in ice_sf_dev_release()

drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_sf_eth.c | 2 ++
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_sf_eth.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_sf_eth.c
index 1a2c94375ca7..f7266d036815 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_sf_eth.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ice/ice_sf_eth.c
@@ -305,6 +305,8 @@ ice_sf_eth_activate(struct ice_dynamic_port *dyn_port,

aux_dev_uninit:
auxiliary_device_uninit(&sf_dev->adev);
+ return err;
+
sf_dev_free:
kfree(sf_dev);
xa_erase:
--
2.43.0