NAME

       SSL_SESSION_free - free an allocated SSL_SESSION structure

SYNOPSIS

        #include <openssl/ssl.h>

        void SSL_SESSION_free(SSL_SESSION *session);

DESCRIPTION

       SSL_SESSION_free() decrements the reference count of session and removes the SSL_SESSION structure
       pointed to by session and frees up the allocated memory, if the reference count has reached 0.

NOTES

       SSL_SESSION objects are allocated, when a TLS/SSL handshake operation is successfully completed.
       Depending on the settings, see SSL_CTX_set_session_cache_mode(3), the SSL_SESSION objects are internally
       referenced by the SSL_CTX and linked into its session cache. SSL objects may be using the SSL_SESSION
       object; as a session may be reused, several SSL objects may be using one SSL_SESSION object at the same
       time. It is therefore crucial to keep the reference count (usage information) correct and not delete a
       SSL_SESSION object that is still used, as this may lead to program failures due to dangling pointers.
       These failures may also appear delayed, e.g.  when an SSL_SESSION object was completely freed as the
       reference count incorrectly became 0, but it is still referenced in the internal session cache and the
       cache list is processed during a SSL_CTX_flush_sessions(3) operation.

       SSL_SESSION_free() must only be called for SSL_SESSION objects, for which the reference count was
       explicitly incremented (e.g.  by calling SSL_get1_session(), see SSL_get_session(3)) or when the
       SSL_SESSION object was generated outside a TLS handshake operation, e.g. by using d2i_SSL_SESSION(3).  It
       must not be called on other SSL_SESSION objects, as this would cause incorrect reference counts and
       therefore program failures.

RETURN VALUES

       SSL_SESSION_free() does not provide diagnostic information.

SEE ALSO

       ssl(3), SSL_get_session(3), SSL_CTX_set_session_cache_mode(3), SSL_CTX_flush_sessions(3),
        d2i_SSL_SESSION(3)