Invalid read of size 1 when using valgrind

I am getting this output when using valgrind:

==19923== Invalid read of size 1
==19923==    at 0x52CCCC0: vfprintf (vfprintf.c:1632)
==19923==    by 0x52F4772: vasprintf (vasprintf.c:59)
==19923==    by 0x52D3A56: asprintf (asprintf.c:35)
==19923==    by 0x400D77: addToList (pa1.c:124)
==19923==    by 0x4010AF: md5Hash (pa1.c:220)
==19923==    by 0x401138: newFile (pa1.c:244)
==19923==    by 0x401260: searchDirects (pa1.c:280)
==19923==    by 0x401451: main (pa1.c:339)
==19923==  Address 0x585b720 is 0 bytes inside a block of size 27 free'd
==19923==    at 0x4C2EDEB: free (in /usr/lib/valgrind/vgpreload_memcheck-amd64-linux.so)
==19923==    by 0x401144: newFile (pa1.c:246)
==19923==    by 0x401260: searchDirects (pa1.c:280)
==19923==    by 0x401382: directoryCheck (pa1.c:312)
==19923==    by 0x4012CD: searchDirects (pa1.c:290)
==19923==    by 0x401451: main (pa1.c:339)
==19923==  Block was alloc'd at
==19923==    at 0x4C2DB8F: malloc (in /usr/lib/valgrind/vgpreload_memcheck-amd64-linux.so)
==19923==    by 0x52F47D7: vasprintf (vasprintf.c:73)
==19923==    by 0x52D3A56: asprintf (asprintf.c:35)
==19923==    by 0x40112C: newFile (pa1.c:239)
==19923==    by 0x401260: searchDirects (pa1.c:280)
==19923==    by 0x401382: directoryCheck (pa1.c:312)
==19923==    by 0x4012CD: searchDirects (pa1.c:290)
==19923==    by 0x401451: main (pa1.c:339)

Here is where I have narrowed it down to being the problem in my code:

else
{    
    currentList = headList;
    printf("This is where I will put the code to create the Linked list!\n");
    if(currentList != 0)
    {
        while(currentList->nextList != 0)
        {
            if(currentList->key = key)
            {
                asprintf(&buff, "%s %s", currentList->value, dirValue); // PROBLEM IS HERE
                printf("Here is the new string that holds the directory paths: %s\n", buff);
                currentList->value = buff;
                free(buff);
                printf("Here is the new string that holds the directory paths: %s\n", currentList->value);
                return;
            }
            currentList = currentList->nextList;
        }

        currentList->nextList = malloc(sizeof(struct List));
        printf("Adding a new node\n");
        //Reached the end of the Linked list and didn't find the
        //same key so create a new node.
        currentList = currentList->nextList;
        currentList->key = key;
        currentList->nextList = NULL;
        currentList->value = dirValue;
    }
}

I have many errors, and providing the entire valgrind output would be overkill I feel. All of the errors I am getting come back to where I am using asprintf() ("addToList (pa1.c:124)" line in the report). Above the code I initialize char *buff = NULL;, and currentList->value holds a string that I am wanting to append onto using asprintf. Any guesses to why I am getting the numerous Invalid read size 1 errors would be greatly appreciated. Also, the string is appended as expected when I do print out the result from asprintf() Thanks.

Solution

The invalid read is at the start of an already freed block of memory; you are trying to use memory after you've freed it.

currentList->value = buff;
free(buff);
printf("Here is the new string that holds the directory paths: %s\n", currentList->value);
return;

You use currentList->value = buff; in the printf(), but you've just freed buff. This spells an impending disaster. If currentList->value is going to be used in calling functions after the return, you've got major problems.

You can fix the one warning by moving the printf() before the free(), but the code looks like you're going to have major issues. It might be better to delete the free(buff); — though you'd have to work out where the data is actually freed instead.