int __mdiobus_register(struct mii_bus *bus, struct module *owner)
{
	struct mdio_device *mdiodev;
	int i, err;
	struct gpio_desc *gpiod;

	if (NULL == bus || NULL == bus->name ||
	    NULL == bus->read || NULL == bus->write)
		return -EINVAL;

	BUG_ON(bus->state != MDIOBUS_ALLOCATED &&
	       bus->state != MDIOBUS_UNREGISTERED);

	bus->owner = owner;
	bus->dev.parent = bus->parent;
	bus->dev.class = &mdio_bus_class;
	bus->dev.groups = NULL;
	dev_set_name(&bus->dev, "%s", bus->id);

 	err = device_register(&bus->dev);
 	if (err) {
 		pr_err("mii_bus %s failed to register\n", bus->id);
		put_device(&bus->dev);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
	mutex_init(&bus->mdio_lock);

	/* de-assert bus level PHY GPIO reset */
	gpiod = devm_gpiod_get_optional(&bus->dev, "reset", GPIOD_OUT_LOW);
	if (IS_ERR(gpiod)) {
		dev_err(&bus->dev, "mii_bus %s couldn't get reset GPIO\n",
			bus->id);
		device_del(&bus->dev);
		return PTR_ERR(gpiod);
	} else	if (gpiod) {
		bus->reset_gpiod = gpiod;

		gpiod_set_value_cansleep(gpiod, 1);
		udelay(bus->reset_delay_us);
		gpiod_set_value_cansleep(gpiod, 0);
	}

	if (bus->reset)
		bus->reset(bus);

	for (i = 0; i < PHY_MAX_ADDR; i++) {
		if ((bus->phy_mask & (1 << i)) == 0) {
			struct phy_device *phydev;

			phydev = mdiobus_scan(bus, i);
			if (IS_ERR(phydev) && (PTR_ERR(phydev) != -ENODEV)) {
				err = PTR_ERR(phydev);
				goto error;
			}
		}
	}

	mdiobus_setup_mdiodev_from_board_info(bus, mdiobus_create_device);

	bus->state = MDIOBUS_REGISTERED;
	pr_info("%s: probed\n", bus->name);
	return 0;

error:
	while (--i >= 0) {
		mdiodev = bus->mdio_map[i];
		if (!mdiodev)
			continue;

		mdiodev->device_remove(mdiodev);
		mdiodev->device_free(mdiodev);
	}

	/* Put PHYs in RESET to save power */
	if (bus->reset_gpiod)
		gpiod_set_value_cansleep(bus->reset_gpiod, 1);

	device_del(&bus->dev);
	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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.