static int sctp_setsockopt(struct sock *sk, int level, int optname,
			   char __user *optval, unsigned int optlen)
{
	int retval = 0;

	pr_debug("%s: sk:%p, optname:%d\n", __func__, sk, optname);

	/* I can hardly begin to describe how wrong this is.  This is
	 * so broken as to be worse than useless.  The API draft
	 * REALLY is NOT helpful here...  I am not convinced that the
	 * semantics of setsockopt() with a level OTHER THAN SOL_SCTP
	 * are at all well-founded.
	 */
	if (level != SOL_SCTP) {
		struct sctp_af *af = sctp_sk(sk)->pf->af;
		retval = af->setsockopt(sk, level, optname, optval, optlen);
		goto out_nounlock;
	}

	lock_sock(sk);

	switch (optname) {
	case SCTP_SOCKOPT_BINDX_ADD:
		/* 'optlen' is the size of the addresses buffer. */
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_bindx(sk, (struct sockaddr __user *)optval,
					       optlen, SCTP_BINDX_ADD_ADDR);
		break;

	case SCTP_SOCKOPT_BINDX_REM:
		/* 'optlen' is the size of the addresses buffer. */
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_bindx(sk, (struct sockaddr __user *)optval,
					       optlen, SCTP_BINDX_REM_ADDR);
		break;

	case SCTP_SOCKOPT_CONNECTX_OLD:
		/* 'optlen' is the size of the addresses buffer. */
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_connectx_old(sk,
					    (struct sockaddr __user *)optval,
					    optlen);
		break;

	case SCTP_SOCKOPT_CONNECTX:
		/* 'optlen' is the size of the addresses buffer. */
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_connectx(sk,
					    (struct sockaddr __user *)optval,
					    optlen);
		break;

	case SCTP_DISABLE_FRAGMENTS:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_disable_fragments(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;

	case SCTP_EVENTS:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_events(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;

	case SCTP_AUTOCLOSE:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_autoclose(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;

	case SCTP_PEER_ADDR_PARAMS:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_peer_addr_params(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;

	case SCTP_DELAYED_SACK:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_delayed_ack(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_PARTIAL_DELIVERY_POINT:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_partial_delivery_point(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;

	case SCTP_INITMSG:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_initmsg(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_DEFAULT_SEND_PARAM:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_default_send_param(sk, optval,
							    optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_DEFAULT_SNDINFO:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_default_sndinfo(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_PRIMARY_ADDR:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_primary_addr(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_SET_PEER_PRIMARY_ADDR:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_peer_primary_addr(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_NODELAY:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_nodelay(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_RTOINFO:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_rtoinfo(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_ASSOCINFO:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_associnfo(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_I_WANT_MAPPED_V4_ADDR:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_mappedv4(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_MAXSEG:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_maxseg(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_ADAPTATION_LAYER:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_adaptation_layer(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_CONTEXT:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_context(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_FRAGMENT_INTERLEAVE:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_fragment_interleave(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_MAX_BURST:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_maxburst(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_AUTH_CHUNK:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_auth_chunk(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_HMAC_IDENT:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_hmac_ident(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_AUTH_KEY:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_auth_key(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_AUTH_ACTIVE_KEY:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_active_key(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_AUTH_DELETE_KEY:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_del_key(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_AUTO_ASCONF:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_auto_asconf(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_PEER_ADDR_THLDS:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_paddr_thresholds(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_RECVRCVINFO:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_recvrcvinfo(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_RECVNXTINFO:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_recvnxtinfo(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_PR_SUPPORTED:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_pr_supported(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_DEFAULT_PRINFO:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_default_prinfo(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_RECONFIG_SUPPORTED:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_reconfig_supported(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_ENABLE_STREAM_RESET:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_enable_strreset(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_RESET_STREAMS:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_reset_streams(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_RESET_ASSOC:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_reset_assoc(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	case SCTP_ADD_STREAMS:
		retval = sctp_setsockopt_add_streams(sk, optval, optlen);
		break;
	default:
		retval = -ENOPROTOOPT;
		break;
	}

	release_sock(sk);

out_nounlock:
	return retval;
}

The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.