How can i correct this memory leak?

Question

This is my code to allocate memory using malloc for a 2 dimensional array in C, and to free it. N is a number given by the user

R = malloc(N * sizeof(int *)); // start of memory allocating for **R
if (R == NULL) { 
  return -1;
}

for (i = 0; i <= N; i++) {
  *(R+i) = malloc(N * sizeof(int));
  if (*(R + i) == NULL) {
    return -1;
  }
} // end of memory allocating for **R 

for (i = 0 ; i < N; i++){
  free(R[i]);
  free(R);
}

After the program finishes, I get this error: double free or corruption (out) Aborted (core dumped)

By using valgrind for debugging, I get this message: 12 bytes in 1 blocks are definitely lost in loss record 1 of 1

This leak is detected at this line of code (according to valgrind): *(C+i) = malloc(N * sizeof(int));

Any help on how to fix it?

Answer 1

i get this error: double free or corruption (out) Aborted (core dumped)

first notice that error is not a memory leak, the double free comes from that code

for (i=0 ; i <N ; i++){
  free(R[i]);
  free(R);
}

which must be must be

for (i=0 ; i <=N ; i++){
  free(R[i]);
}
free(R);

else you free R in the first loop rather than after the loops

Because of that from the second loop the value of R[i] if undefined and the behavior of the free is undefined too, and you call again free on R , both reasons compatible with the message produced by valgrind .

Note I also changed the test to be i<=N to be the identical of the test used to do the allocations, but both suppose your array is sized N+1 (at least), else you miss a free producing a memory leak.

If the allocations step and free step are not consecutive in the code and the free step is done even you cannot allocate the memory at a given time, the code must be modified to be:

if (R != NULL)
{
  for (i=0 ; i <=N ; i++){
    if (R[i] == NULL) /* allocation failed */
      break;
    free(R[i]);
  }
  free(R);
}

to not dereference R if it is NULL, and to not attempts to free the entries of the array not set in the allocation loop because (*(R + i) == NULL) was true breaking the loop

Answer 2

This is my code to allocate memory using malloc for a 2 dimensional array in C, and to free it

An alternative approach is to make your matrix some abstract data type implemented by some (pointer to) struct ending with a flexible array member . In such a case, your matrix creation routine makes one allocation (using malloc ), and your matrix deallacation routine can be a simple (casted) free . Don't forget to handle failure of malloc(3) (it could happen when you want a gigantic matrix which don't fit in your computer).

Details have been given in this answer .

Read also of course Modern C and some C reference website .

IMHO two-dimensional arrays don't exist in C, you can just have arrays of arrays of some known type. Check by reading some C standard, like n2176 .