Subject: [PATCH v4 1/3] media: meson: vdec: Fix memory leak in error path of vdec_open

From: Anand Moon <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 May 2026 13:04:11 +0530

The vdec_open() function previously jumped directly to err_m2m_release
when vdec_init_ctrls() failed, skipping release of the m2m context.
This caused a resource leak.

Fix it by introducing a proper err_m2m_ctx_release label that calls
v4l2_m2m_ctx_release(sess->m2m_ctx) before releasing the m2m device.
Also free the v4l2 control handler memory allocated by vdec_init_ctrls()
in vdec_close().

This was identified via kmemleak:
unreferenced object 0xffff0000205d6878 (size 8):
  comm "v4l_id", pid 5289, jiffies 4294938580
  hex dump (first 8 bytes):
    40 d2 49 18 00 00 ff ff                          @.I.....
  backtrace (crc d3204599):
    kmemleak_alloc+0xc8/0xf0
    __kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x60c/0x850
    v4l2_ctrl_handler_init_class+0x1b4/0x2e8 [videodev]
    vdec_open+0x1f4/0x788 [meson_vdec]
    v4l2_open+0x144/0x460 [videodev]
    chrdev_open+0x1ac/0x500
    do_dentry_open+0x3f0/0xfe8
    vfs_open+0x68/0x320
    do_open+0x2d8/0x9a8
    path_openat+0x1d0/0x4f0
    do_filp_open+0x190/0x380
    do_sys_openat2+0xf8/0x1b0
    __arm64_sys_openat+0x13c/0x1e8
    invoke_syscall+0xdc/0x268
    el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0x178/0x258
    do_el0_svc+0x4c/0x70

Cc: Nicolas Dufresne <[email-masked]>
Reported-by: Sashiko <[email-masked]>
Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email-masked]/#t
Fixes: 3e7f51bd9607 ("media: meson: add v4l2 m2m video decoder driver")
Signed-off-by: Anand Moon <[email-masked]>
---
v4: update the commit message to add v4l2_ctrl_handler_free() in vdec_close()
to adderss the issue:
  This isn't a bug introduced by this patch, but does vdec_close() properly
  free the v4l2 control handler memory allocated by vdec_init_ctrls() here?

v3: https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email-masked]/
  update the commit messagee.

v2: https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email-masked]/
  updated the commit message, applied the suggestion from sashiko below.

  [3] https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20260321065408.209723-1-linux.amoon%40gmail.com

v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email-masked]/
  tried to address the issue reported by Nicolas improve the commit message.
---
 drivers/staging/media/meson/vdec/vdec.c | 5 ++++-
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/drivers/staging/media/meson/vdec/vdec.c b/drivers/staging/media/meson/vdec/vdec.c
index 4b77ec1af5a7..9244fb09eb36 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/media/meson/vdec/vdec.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/media/meson/vdec/vdec.c
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@ static int vdec_open(struct file *file)
 
 	ret = vdec_init_ctrls(sess);
 	if (ret)
-		goto err_m2m_release;
+		goto err_m2m_ctx_release;
 
 	sess->pixfmt_cap = formats[0].pixfmts_cap[0];
 	sess->fmt_out = &formats[0];
@@ -913,6 +913,8 @@ static int vdec_open(struct file *file)
 
 	return 0;
 
+err_m2m_ctx_release:
+	v4l2_m2m_ctx_release(sess->m2m_ctx);
 err_m2m_release:
 	v4l2_m2m_release(sess->m2m_dev);
 err_free_sess:
@@ -926,6 +928,7 @@ static int vdec_close(struct file *file)
 
 	v4l2_m2m_ctx_release(sess->m2m_ctx);
 	v4l2_m2m_release(sess->m2m_dev);
+	v4l2_ctrl_handler_free(&sess->ctrl_handler);
 	v4l2_fh_del(&sess->fh, file);
 	v4l2_fh_exit(&sess->fh);
 
-- 
2.50.1