# [PATCH] builtin/submodule--helper: fix leak when remote_submodule_branch() failed 1 messages from 2025-06-08 to 2025-06-08. Participants: Lidong Yan via GitGitGadget. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/63602 ## Lidong Yan via GitGitGadget, 2025-06-08 03:56 Subject: [PATCH] builtin/submodule--helper: fix leak when remote_submodule_branch() failed Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/pull.1987.git.git.1749355019495.gitgitgadget%40gmail.com ``` From: Lidong Yan <502024330056@smail.nju.edu.cn> In builtin/submodule--helper.c:update_submodule(), the variable remote_name is allocated in get_default_remote_submodule() but may be leaked if remote_submodule_branch() fails. Although it is unlikely that remote_submodule_branch() would fail after successfully obtaining a remote ref name from get_default_remote_submodule(), it is still possible. To prevent a potential memory leak, add a call to free(remote_name) at the early exit point. Signed-off-by: Lidong Yan <502024330056@smail.nju.edu.cn> --- submodule--helper: fix leak when remote_submodule_branch() failed In builtin/submodule--helper.c:update_submodule(), remote_name is allocated in get_default_remote_submodule() but may leak due to failure of remote_submodule_branch. Add free(remote_name) at the eraly exit point. Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-git-1987%2Fbrandb97%2Ffix-update-submodule-leak-v1 Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-git-1987/brandb97/fix-update-submodule-leak-v1 Pull-Request: https://github.com/git/git/pull/1987 builtin/submodule--helper.c | 4 +++- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c index 53da2116ddf..640c0059c3e 100644 --- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c +++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c @@ -2660,8 +2660,10 @@ static int update_submodule(struct update_data *update_data) if (code) return code; code = remote_submodule_branch(update_data->sm_path, &branch); - if (code) + if (code) { + free(remote_name); return code; + } remote_ref = xstrfmt("refs/remotes/%s/%s", remote_name, branch); free(remote_name); base-commit: 7014b55638da979331baf8dc31c4e1d697cf2d67 -- gitgitgadget ```