Sashiko AI code review pointed out a potential memory leak of
image->elf_headers when load_other_segments() fails on error paths.

In the arm64 kexec_file file-load path, kexec_image.c runs a retry loop
calling kexec_add_buffer() to find a suitable location for the kernel
segment. On each iteration, load_other_segments() is invoked to allocate
and populate alternative segments such as initrd, DTB, and ELF headers.

However, if a placement or allocation failure occurs later in
load_other_segments() (e.g., when adding initrd or dtb), the execution
jumps to the out_err label. While this path restores image->nr_segments
via orig_segments, it returns an error back to the caller without freeing
the previously allocated image->elf_headers vmalloc buffer.

As a result, the retry loop in image_load() unconditionally allocates
new ELF headers on the next iteration and overwrites image->elf_headers,
permanently leaking the memory blocks allocated in previous iterations.

To fix this, decouple the ELF header allocation from the target-seeking
retry loop. Since the contents and size of ELF headers only depend on
the host memory layout and do not change with the kernel's physical
placement, move prepare_elf_headers() completely outside and prior to
the while retry loop in image_load().

And if kexec_add_buffer() for elf headers fails, not need to vfree
headers, because the err path will vfree `image->elf_headers` by calling
arch_kimage_file_post_load_cleanup().

This optimization eliminates redundant memory allocation/deallocation
overhead during kexec placement retries and eradicates the Use-After-Free
and memory leak risk.

Concurrently, remove the prepare_elf_headers() call from inside
load_other_segments() and have it directly reuse the single, pre-allocated
image->elf_headers.

Cc: Catalin Marinas <catalin.marinas@arm.com>
Cc: Will Deacon <will@kernel.org>
Cc: Thomas Huth <redacted>
Cc: Breno Leitao <leitao@debian.org>
Cc: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Cc: Yeoreum Yun <redacted>
Cc: Coiby Xu <redacted>
Cc: Baoquan He <redacted>
Cc: Kees Cook <kees@kernel.org>
Cc: Benjamin Gwin <redacted>
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Fixes: 108aa503657e ("arm64: kexec_file: try more regions if loading segments fails")
Signed-off-by: Jinjie Ruan <redacted>
---
v15:
- Use image->elf_headers and image->elf_headers_sz instead of adding function
  parameters for load_other_segments() to simplify the fix.
---
 arch/arm64/include/asm/kexec.h         |  1 +
 arch/arm64/kernel/kexec_image.c        | 16 ++++++++++++++++
 arch/arm64/kernel/machine_kexec_file.c | 23 +++++------------------
 3 files changed, 22 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/kexec.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/kexec.h
index 892e5bebda95..7ffa2ff5fcfd 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/include/asm/kexec.h
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/kexec.h

@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ extern int load_other_segments(struct kimage *image,
 		unsigned long kernel_load_addr, unsigned long kernel_size,
 		char *initrd, unsigned long initrd_len,
 		char *cmdline);
+extern int prepare_elf_headers(void **addr, unsigned long *sz);
 #endif
 
 #endif /* __ASSEMBLER__ */

diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/kexec_image.c b/arch/arm64/kernel/kexec_image.c
index ffcb7f9075e6..424b9527db09 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/kexec_image.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/kexec_image.c

@@ -89,6 +89,22 @@ static void *image_load(struct kimage *image,
 
 	kernel_segment_number = image->nr_segments;
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_CRASH_DUMP
+	if (image->type == KEXEC_TYPE_CRASH) {
+		/* load elf core header */
+		unsigned long headers_sz;
+		void *headers;
+
+		ret = prepare_elf_headers(&headers, &headers_sz);
+		if (ret) {
+			pr_err("Preparing elf core header failed\n");
+			return ERR_PTR(ret);
+		}
+		image->elf_headers = headers;
+		image->elf_headers_sz = headers_sz;
+	}
+#endif
+
 	/*
 	 * The location of the kernel segment may make it impossible to satisfy
 	 * the other segment requirements, so we try repeatedly to find a

diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/machine_kexec_file.c b/arch/arm64/kernel/machine_kexec_file.c
index 13c247c28866..4cbb71e1f8ed 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/machine_kexec_file.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/machine_kexec_file.c

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ int arch_kimage_file_post_load_cleanup(struct kimage *image)
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_CRASH_DUMP
-static int prepare_elf_headers(void **addr, unsigned long *sz)
+int prepare_elf_headers(void **addr, unsigned long *sz)
 {
 	struct crash_mem *cmem;
 	unsigned int nr_ranges;

@@ -105,32 +105,19 @@ int load_other_segments(struct kimage *image,
 	kbuf.buf_min = kernel_load_addr + kernel_size;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_CRASH_DUMP
-	/* load elf core header */
-	void *headers;
-	unsigned long headers_sz;
 	if (image->type == KEXEC_TYPE_CRASH) {
-		ret = prepare_elf_headers(&headers, &headers_sz);
-		if (ret) {
-			pr_err("Preparing elf core header failed\n");
-			goto out_err;
-		}
-
-		kbuf.buffer = headers;
-		kbuf.bufsz = headers_sz;
+		kbuf.buffer = image->elf_headers;
+		kbuf.bufsz = image->elf_headers_sz;
 		kbuf.mem = KEXEC_BUF_MEM_UNKNOWN;
-		kbuf.memsz = headers_sz;
+		kbuf.memsz = image->elf_headers_sz;
 		kbuf.buf_align = SZ_64K; /* largest supported page size */
 		kbuf.buf_max = ULONG_MAX;
 		kbuf.top_down = true;
 
 		ret = kexec_add_buffer(&kbuf);
-		if (ret) {
-			vfree(headers);
+		if (ret)
 			goto out_err;
-		}
-		image->elf_headers = headers;
 		image->elf_load_addr = kbuf.mem;
-		image->elf_headers_sz = headers_sz;
 
 		kexec_dprintk("Loaded elf core header at 0x%lx bufsz=0x%lx memsz=0x%lx\n",
 			      image->elf_load_addr, kbuf.bufsz, kbuf.memsz);

-- 
2.34.1