int __ext4_handle_dirty_metadata(const char *where, unsigned int line,
				 handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
				 struct buffer_head *bh)
{
	int err = 0;

	might_sleep();

	set_buffer_meta(bh);
	set_buffer_prio(bh);
	if (ext4_handle_valid(handle)) {
		err = jbd2_journal_dirty_metadata(handle, bh);
		/* Errors can only happen due to aborted journal or a nasty bug */
		if (!is_handle_aborted(handle) && WARN_ON_ONCE(err)) {
			ext4_journal_abort_handle(where, line, __func__, bh,
						  handle, err);
			if (inode == NULL) {
				pr_err("EXT4: jbd2_journal_dirty_metadata "
				       "failed: handle type %u started at "
				       "line %u, credits %u/%u, errcode %d",
				       handle->h_type,
				       handle->h_line_no,
				       handle->h_requested_credits,
				       handle->h_buffer_credits, err);
				return err;
			}
			ext4_error_inode(inode, where, line,
					 bh->b_blocknr,
					 "journal_dirty_metadata failed: "
					 "handle type %u started at line %u, "
					 "credits %u/%u, errcode %d",
					 handle->h_type,
					 handle->h_line_no,
					 handle->h_requested_credits,
					 handle->h_buffer_credits, err);
		}
	} else {
		if (inode)
			mark_buffer_dirty_inode(bh, inode);
		else
			mark_buffer_dirty(bh);
		if (inode && inode_needs_sync(inode)) {
			sync_dirty_buffer(bh);
			if (buffer_req(bh) && !buffer_uptodate(bh)) {
				struct ext4_super_block *es;

				es = EXT4_SB(inode->i_sb)->s_es;
				es->s_last_error_block =
					cpu_to_le64(bh->b_blocknr);
				ext4_error_inode(inode, where, line,
						 bh->b_blocknr,
					"IO error syncing itable block");
				err = -EIO;
			}
		}
	}
	return err;
}

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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.