xfs_iget_check_free_state(
	struct xfs_inode	*ip,
	int			flags)
{
	if (flags & XFS_IGET_CREATE) {
		/* should be a free inode */
		if (VFS_I(ip)->i_mode != 0) {
			xfs_warn(ip->i_mount,
"Corruption detected! Free inode 0x%llx not marked free! (mode 0x%x)",
				ip->i_ino, VFS_I(ip)->i_mode);
			return -EFSCORRUPTED;
		}

		if (ip->i_d.di_nblocks != 0) {
			xfs_warn(ip->i_mount,
"Corruption detected! Free inode 0x%llx has blocks allocated!",
				ip->i_ino);
			return -EFSCORRUPTED;
		}
		return 0;
	}

	/* should be an allocated inode */
	if (VFS_I(ip)->i_mode == 0)
		return -ENOENT;

	return 0;
}
A NULL pointer dereference occurs when the application dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid, but is NULL, typically causing a crash or exit.