Kernel memory analysis tools to find kernel memory leak (Kmemleak)

Introduction:

i) Kmemleak is a Linux kernel feature designed to detect and report memory leaks in the kernel code. Memory leaks occur when a program allocates memory dynamically but fails to release it when it is no longer needed. This can result in a gradual loss of memory over time, eventually leading to system instability or even crashes.

ii) Kmemleak works by scanning the kernel memory periodically to detect any memory that has been allocated but not freed. When it detects a potential memory leak, it reports it to the system log along with a stack trace that shows where the memory was allocated. This information can help developers to identify and fix the source of the memory leak.

iii)Kmemleak is a useful tool for kernel developers and system administrators who want to ensure that their systems are stable and free of memory leaks. It can be enabled in the kernel configuration, and once enabled, it will run automatically in the background, periodically scanning the kernel memory for leaks.

Required kernel configs need to enable :