For dummy devices, exit earlier at free_netdev() instead of executing the whole function. This is necessary, because dummy devices are special, and shouldn't have the second part of the function executed. Otherwise reg_state, which is NETREG_DUMMY, will be overwritten and there will be no way to identify that this is a dummy device. Also, this device do not need the final put_device(), since dummy devices are not registered (through register_netdevice()), where the device reference is increased (at netdev_register_kobject()/device_add()). Suggested-by: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@xxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Breno Leitao <leitao@xxxxxxxxxx> Reviewed-by: Ido Schimmel <idosch@xxxxxxxxxx> --- net/core/dev.c | 3 ++- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c index 44c2d698fd1b..62b39d6b1d8f 100644 --- a/net/core/dev.c +++ b/net/core/dev.c @@ -11066,7 +11066,8 @@ void free_netdev(struct net_device *dev) phy_link_topo_destroy(dev->link_topo); /* Compatibility with error handling in drivers */ - if (dev->reg_state == NETREG_UNINITIALIZED) { + if (dev->reg_state == NETREG_UNINITIALIZED || + dev->reg_state == NETREG_DUMMY) { netdev_freemem(dev); return; } -- 2.43.0