[PATCH v2] fs/ntfs3: Fix memory and resource leak in indx_find_sort

From: Jiasheng Jiang

Date: Sun Jan 18 2026 - 13:57:40 EST


The function indx_find_sort() incorrectly uses kfree(n) to cleanup the
'struct indx_node' instance in error paths.

The 'struct indx_node' is a container that manages internal allocations
(n->index) and holds a reference to a buffer head (n->nb). Using kfree()
directly on the node pointer only frees the container itself, resulting
in a memory leak of the index buffer and a resource leak of the buffer
head reference.

This patch replaces the incorrect kfree(n) calls with the specialized
helper put_indx_node(n), which correctly releases the internal resources
and the buffer head, consistent with other functions like indx_find_raw().

Fixes: 82cae269cfa9 ("fs/ntfs3: Add initialization of super block")
Signed-off-by: Jiasheng Jiang <jiashengjiangcool@xxxxxxxxx>
---
Changelog:

v1 -> v2:

1. Add a Fixes tag.
---
fs/ntfs3/index.c | 6 +++---
1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/ntfs3/index.c b/fs/ntfs3/index.c
index 7157cfd70fdc..c598b4b2f454 100644
--- a/fs/ntfs3/index.c
+++ b/fs/ntfs3/index.c
@@ -1248,7 +1248,7 @@ int indx_find_sort(struct ntfs_index *indx, struct ntfs_inode *ni,
sizeof(struct NTFS_DE) + sizeof(u64)) {
if (n) {
fnd_pop(fnd);
- kfree(n);
+ put_indx_node(n);
}
return -EINVAL;
}
@@ -1261,7 +1261,7 @@ int indx_find_sort(struct ntfs_index *indx, struct ntfs_inode *ni,
/* Try next level. */
e = hdr_first_de(&n->index->ihdr);
if (!e) {
- kfree(n);
+ put_indx_node(n);
return -EINVAL;
}

@@ -1281,7 +1281,7 @@ int indx_find_sort(struct ntfs_index *indx, struct ntfs_inode *ni,
/* Pop one level. */
if (n) {
fnd_pop(fnd);
- kfree(n);
+ put_indx_node(n);
}

level = fnd->level;
--
2.25.1