NAME

       SSL_free - free an allocated SSL structure

SYNOPSIS

        #include <openssl/ssl.h>

        void SSL_free(SSL *ssl);

DESCRIPTION

       SSL_free() decrements the reference count of ssl, and removes the SSL structure pointed to by ssl and
       frees up the allocated memory if the reference count has reached 0.  If ssl is NULL nothing is done.

NOTES

       SSL_free() also calls the free()ing procedures for indirectly affected items, if applicable: the
       buffering BIO, the read and write BIOs, cipher lists specially created for this ssl, the SSL_SESSION.  Do
       not explicitly free these indirectly freed up items before or after calling SSL_free(), as trying to free
       things twice may lead to program failure.

       The ssl session has reference counts from two users: the SSL object, for which the reference count is
       removed by SSL_free() and the internal session cache. If the session is considered bad, because
       SSL_shutdown(3) was not called for the connection and SSL_set_shutdown(3) was not used to set the
       SSL_SENT_SHUTDOWN state, the session will also be removed from the session cache as required by RFC2246.

       When used to free a QUIC stream SSL object, the respective sending and receiving parts of the stream are
       reset unless those parts have already been concluded normally:

       •   If  the  stream  has  a  sending  part (in other words, if it is bidirectional or a locally-initiated
           unidirectional stream) and that part has not been concluded via a call to  SSL_stream_conclude(3)  or
           SSL_stream_reset(3)  on  the  QUIC  stream  SSL object, a call to SSL_free() automatically resets the
           sending part of the stream as though SSL_stream_reset(3) were called with a  QUIC  application  error
           code of 0.

       •   If  the  stream  has a receiving part (in other words, if it is bidirectional or a remotely-initiated
           unidirectional stream), and the peer has not yet concluded that part of the stream normally (such  as
           via a call to SSL_stream_conclude(3) on its own end), a call to SSL_free() automatically requests the
           reset  of  the  receiving  part of the stream using a QUIC STOP_SENDING frame with a QUIC application
           error code of 0. Note that as per the QUIC protocol, this will automatically cause the peer to  reset
           that part of the stream in turn (which is its sending part).

       A  QUIC  stream  SSL object maintains a reference to a QUIC connection SSL object internally, therefore a
       QUIC stream SSL object and its parent QUIC connection SSL object can be freed in either order.

RETURN VALUES

       SSL_free() does not provide diagnostic information.

       SSL_new(3), SSL_clear(3), SSL_shutdown(3), SSL_set_shutdown(3), ssl(7)

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright 2000-2023 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.

       Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License").  You may not use this file  except  in  compliance
       with  the  License.   You  can  obtain  a  copy  in  the  file  LICENSE  in the source distribution or at
       <https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html>.

3.4.1                                              2025-04-03                                     SSL_FREE(3SSL)