static int try_get_dev_id(struct smi_info *smi_info)
{
	unsigned char         msg[2];
	unsigned char         *resp;
	unsigned long         resp_len;
	int                   rv = 0;

	resp = kmalloc(IPMI_MAX_MSG_LENGTH, GFP_KERNEL);
	if (!resp)
		return -ENOMEM;

	/*
	 * Do a Get Device ID command, since it comes back with some
	 * useful info.
	 */
	msg[0] = IPMI_NETFN_APP_REQUEST << 2;
	msg[1] = IPMI_GET_DEVICE_ID_CMD;
	smi_info->handlers->start_transaction(smi_info->si_sm, msg, 2);

	rv = wait_for_msg_done(smi_info);
	if (rv)
		goto out;

	resp_len = smi_info->handlers->get_result(smi_info->si_sm,
						  resp, IPMI_MAX_MSG_LENGTH);

	/* Check and record info from the get device id, in case we need it. */
	rv = ipmi_demangle_device_id(resp[0] >> 2, resp[1],
			resp + 2, resp_len - 2, &smi_info->device_id);

out:
	kfree(resp);
	return rv;
}

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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.