[PATCH net v2] bnxt_en: Handle partially initialized auxiliary devices

From: Ruoyu Wang

Date: Sat Jul 11 2026 - 12:37:42 EST


bnxt_aux_devices_init() calls auxiliary_device_init() before all fields
used by bnxt_aux_dev_release() are initialized. After
auxiliary_device_init() succeeds, later errors must unwind with
auxiliary_device_uninit(), which invokes the release callback.

The release callback assumes that aux_priv->id, aux_priv->edev,
edev->net and edev->ulp_tbl are all populated. If allocation fails
after auxiliary_device_init(), the release path can otherwise dereference
or clear partially initialized state.

Allocate and attach the bnxt_en_dev and ULP table before calling
auxiliary_device_init(), so the release callback only sees a fully
initialized auxiliary private object. If auxiliary_device_init() itself
fails, free those allocations directly because device_initialize() has not
run and the release callback will not be invoked.

This issue was found by a static analysis checker and confirmed by manual
source review.

Fixes: 194fad5b2781 ("bnxt_en: Refactor bnxt_rdma_aux_device_init/uninit functions")
Signed-off-by: Ruoyu Wang <ruoyuw560@xxxxxxxxx>
---
v2:
- Allocate edev and ulp before auxiliary_device_init(), as suggested by
Pavan Chebbi.
v1: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20260708143401.3167477-1-ruoyuw560@xxxxxxxxx/

drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ulp.c | 39 ++++++++++---------
1 file changed, 20 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ulp.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ulp.c
index 5c75193..a515c36 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ulp.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ulp.c
@@ -566,6 +566,18 @@ void bnxt_aux_devices_init(struct bnxt *bp)
if (!aux_priv)
goto next_auxdev;

+ edev = kzalloc_obj(*edev);
+ if (!edev)
+ goto aux_priv_free;
+ aux_priv->edev = edev;
+ bnxt_set_edev_info(edev, bp);
+
+ ulp = kzalloc_obj(*ulp);
+ if (!ulp)
+ goto edev_free;
+ edev->ulp_tbl = ulp;
+ aux_priv->id = idx;
+
aux_dev = &aux_priv->aux_dev;
aux_dev->id = bp->auxdev_id;
aux_dev->name = bnxt_aux_devices[idx].name;
@@ -573,37 +585,26 @@ void bnxt_aux_devices_init(struct bnxt *bp)
aux_dev->dev.release = bnxt_aux_dev_release;

rc = auxiliary_device_init(aux_dev);
- if (rc) {
- kfree(aux_priv);
- goto next_auxdev;
- }
+ if (rc)
+ goto ulp_free;
bp->aux_priv[idx] = aux_priv;

/* From this point, all cleanup will happen via the .release
* callback & any error unwinding will need to include a call
* to auxiliary_device_uninit.
*/
- edev = kzalloc_obj(*edev);
- if (!edev)
- goto aux_dev_uninit;
-
- aux_priv->edev = edev;
- bnxt_set_edev_info(edev, bp);
-
- ulp = kzalloc_obj(*ulp);
- if (!ulp)
- goto aux_dev_uninit;
-
- edev->ulp_tbl = ulp;
bp->edev[idx] = edev;
if (idx == BNXT_AUXDEV_RDMA)
bp->ulp_num_msix_want = bnxt_set_dflt_ulp_msix(bp);
- aux_priv->id = idx;
bnxt_auxdev_set_state(bp, idx, BNXT_ADEV_STATE_INIT);

continue;
-aux_dev_uninit:
- auxiliary_device_uninit(aux_dev);
+ulp_free:
+ kfree(ulp);
+edev_free:
+ kfree(edev);
+aux_priv_free:
+ kfree(aux_priv);
next_auxdev:
if (idx == BNXT_AUXDEV_RDMA)
bp->flags &= ~BNXT_FLAG_ROCE_CAP;
--
2.51.0