[PATCH] kgdboc: Fix tty driver reference leak in configure_kgdboc()

From: Wentao Liang

Date: Thu Sep 17 2026 - 12:06:33 EST


tty_find_polling_driver() returns the tty driver with an extra
reference taken by tty_driver_kref_get(). configure_kgdboc() stores it
in kgdb_tty_driver but the reference is never dropped: it is leaked when
kgdb_register_io_module() fails, when the configuration is cleared, and
on every reconfigure.

Release the reference both when unconfiguring and on the error path.

Fixes: 7d7b93c1452f ("tty: kref the tty driver object")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Wentao Liang <vulab@xxxxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/tty/serial/kgdboc.c | 9 +++++++++
1 file changed, 9 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/tty/serial/kgdboc.c b/drivers/tty/serial/kgdboc.c
index 5a955c80a853..e2c8e5ec688c 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/serial/kgdboc.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/serial/kgdboc.c
@@ -188,6 +188,11 @@ static void cleanup_kgdboc(void)

kgdboc_unregister_kbd();
kgdb_unregister_io_module(&kgdboc_io_ops);
+
+ if (kgdb_tty_driver) {
+ tty_driver_kref_put(kgdb_tty_driver);
+ kgdb_tty_driver = NULL;
+ }
}

static int configure_kgdboc(void)
@@ -254,6 +259,10 @@ static int configure_kgdboc(void)

noconfig:
kgdboc_unregister_kbd();
+ if (kgdb_tty_driver) {
+ tty_driver_kref_put(kgdb_tty_driver);
+ kgdb_tty_driver = NULL;
+ }
configured = 0;

return err;
--
2.34.1