[PATCH net v2] net: ncsi: fix skb leak in error paths

From: Jian Zhang

Date: Thu Mar 05 2026 - 01:08:04 EST


Early return paths in NCSI RX and AEN handlers fail to release
the received skb, resulting in a memory leak.

Specifically, ncsi_aen_handler() returns on invalid AEN packets
without consuming the skb. Similarly, ncsi_rcv_rsp() exits early
when failing to resolve the NCSI device, response handler, or
request, leaving the skb unfreed.

CC: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fixes: 7a82ecf4cfb8 ("net/ncsi: NCSI AEN packet handler")
Fixes: 138635cc27c9 ("net/ncsi: NCSI response packet handler")
Signed-off-by: Jian Zhang <zhangjian.3032@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v2:
- use meaningful label
- use kfree_skb to free skb in error paths
- add Fixes label

v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260302054629.1347119-1-zhangjian.3032@xxxxxxxxxxxxx/
---
net/ncsi/ncsi-aen.c | 3 ++-
net/ncsi/ncsi-rsp.c | 16 ++++++++++++----
2 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/net/ncsi/ncsi-aen.c b/net/ncsi/ncsi-aen.c
index 62fb1031763d..040a31557201 100644
--- a/net/ncsi/ncsi-aen.c
+++ b/net/ncsi/ncsi-aen.c
@@ -224,7 +224,8 @@ int ncsi_aen_handler(struct ncsi_dev_priv *ndp, struct sk_buff *skb)
if (!nah) {
netdev_warn(ndp->ndev.dev, "Invalid AEN (0x%x) received\n",
h->type);
- return -ENOENT;
+ ret = -ENOENT;
+ goto out;
}

ret = ncsi_validate_aen_pkt(h, nah->payload);
diff --git a/net/ncsi/ncsi-rsp.c b/net/ncsi/ncsi-rsp.c
index 271ec6c3929e..fbd84bc8026a 100644
--- a/net/ncsi/ncsi-rsp.c
+++ b/net/ncsi/ncsi-rsp.c
@@ -1176,8 +1176,10 @@ int ncsi_rcv_rsp(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
/* Find the NCSI device */
nd = ncsi_find_dev(orig_dev);
ndp = nd ? TO_NCSI_DEV_PRIV(nd) : NULL;
- if (!ndp)
- return -ENODEV;
+ if (!ndp) {
+ ret = -ENODEV;
+ goto err_free_skb;
+ }

/* Check if it is AEN packet */
hdr = (struct ncsi_pkt_hdr *)skb_network_header(skb);
@@ -1199,7 +1201,8 @@ int ncsi_rcv_rsp(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
if (!nrh) {
netdev_err(nd->dev, "Received unrecognized packet (0x%x)\n",
hdr->type);
- return -ENOENT;
+ ret = -ENOENT;
+ goto err_free_skb;
}

/* Associate with the request */
@@ -1207,7 +1210,8 @@ int ncsi_rcv_rsp(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
nr = &ndp->requests[hdr->id];
if (!nr->used) {
spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ndp->lock, flags);
- return -ENODEV;
+ ret = -ENODEV;
+ goto err_free_skb;
}

nr->rsp = skb;
@@ -1261,4 +1265,8 @@ int ncsi_rcv_rsp(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
out:
ncsi_free_request(nr);
return ret;
+
+err_free_skb:
+ kfree_skb(skb);
+ return ret;
}
--
2.20.1