crypto_free_aead(9)

💅 crypto_free_aead(9) — zeroize and free aead handle

okay so this is a page from the Kernel API Manual, section 9, and it's literally the cleanup era of a cipher handle. bestie, this is the "log off, clear your cache, delete the group chat" function 🧹✨

---

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void crypto_free_aead (struct crypto_aead *tfm );

no cap, that's the whole signature. void in, void out — no return value, no drama, it just handles it 🫶

---

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• tfm — the cipher handle that's getting freed 💀 this is the one being zeroized and let go. say your goodbyes.

---

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

Here's the vibe: this function zeroizes and frees the aead handle. that's it, that's the whole job, and she does it flawlessly 👑

And like — plot twist — if tfm is a NULL pointer or an error pointer, this function does absolutely nothing. zero. zilch. it just looks at it and goes "not my problem" 🙈 no crash, no fuss. so safe. so iconic.

ngl that NULL/error-pointer check is the main character energy of this whole page — always check before you wreck 💅

---

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

like the whole AEAD friend group, fr fr:

• Kernel file ./include/crypto/aead.h 📁
• Authenticated Encryption With Associated Data (AEAD) Cipher API(9)
• struct aead_request(9)
• struct aead_alg(9)
• crypto_alloc_aead(9)
• crypto_has_aead(9)
• crypto_aead_ivsize(9)
• crypto_aead_authsize(9)
• crypto_aead_blocksize(9)
• crypto_aead_setkey(9)
• crypto_aead_setauthsize(9)
• crypto_aead_encrypt(9)
• crypto_aead_decrypt(9)
• Asynchronous AEAD Request Handle(9)
• crypto_aead_reqsize(9)
• aead_request_set_tfm(9)
• aead_request_alloc(9)
• aead_request_free(9)
• aead_request_set_callback(9)
• aead_request_set_crypt(9)
• aead_request_set_ad(9)

---

and that's the page!! 🎀✨

cute little sign-off for you: this one lives in ./include/crypto and it's dated October 2026 — so yeah, mark your calendars bestie, the source path and the date are literally part of the lore 🗓️💜 stay zeroized, stay freed 🦋