diff --git a/extensions/openpower-pels/json_utils.cpp b/extensions/openpower-pels/json_utils.cpp
index 13094ed..fa3246e 100644
--- a/extensions/openpower-pels/json_utils.cpp
+++ b/extensions/openpower-pels/json_utils.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@
 
     return output;
 }
-char* dumpHex(const void* data, size_t size, size_t indentCount, bool toJson)
+std::unique_ptr<char[]> dumpHex(const void* data, size_t size,
+                                size_t indentCount, bool toJson)
 {
     const int symbolSize = 100;
     std::string jsonIndent(indentLevel * indentCount, 0x20);
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@
     {
         jsonIndent.append("\"");
     }
-    char* buffer = (char*)calloc(std::max(70, 10 * (int)size), sizeof(char));
+    std::unique_ptr<char[]> buffer{new char[std::max(70, 10 * (int)size)]()};
     char* symbol = (char*)calloc(symbolSize, sizeof(char));
     char* byteCount = (char*)calloc(11, sizeof(char));
     char ascii[17];
@@ -94,12 +95,12 @@
             if (!toJson)
             {
                 snprintf(byteCount, 11, "%08X  ", static_cast<uint32_t>(i));
-                strcat(buffer, byteCount);
+                strcat(buffer.get(), byteCount);
             }
-            strcat(buffer, jsonIndent.c_str());
+            strcat(buffer.get(), jsonIndent.c_str());
         }
         snprintf(symbol, symbolSize, "%02X ", ((unsigned char*)data)[i]);
-        strcat(buffer, symbol);
+        strcat(buffer.get(), symbol);
         memset(symbol, 0, strlen(symbol));
         if (((unsigned char*)data)[i] >= ' ' &&
             ((unsigned char*)data)[i] <= '~')
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@
             {
                 asciiString = escapeJSON(asciiString);
             }
-            strcat(buffer, " ");
+            strcat(buffer.get(), " ");
             if ((i + 1) % 16 == 0)
             {
                 if (i + 1 != size && toJson)
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@
                     snprintf(symbol, symbolSize, "|  %s\n",
                              asciiString.c_str());
                 }
-                strcat(buffer, symbol);
+                strcat(buffer.get(), symbol);
                 memset(symbol, 0, strlen(symbol));
             }
             else if (i + 1 == size)
@@ -143,11 +144,11 @@
                 ascii[(i + 1) % 16] = '\0';
                 if ((i + 1) % 16 <= 8)
                 {
-                    strcat(buffer, " ");
+                    strcat(buffer.get(), " ");
                 }
                 for (j = (i + 1) % 16; j < 16; ++j)
                 {
-                    strcat(buffer, "   ");
+                    strcat(buffer.get(), "   ");
                 }
                 std::string asciiString2(ascii);
                 if (toJson)
@@ -162,7 +163,7 @@
                              asciiString2.c_str());
                 }
 
-                strcat(buffer, symbol);
+                strcat(buffer.get(), symbol);
                 memset(symbol, 0, strlen(symbol));
             }
         }
diff --git a/extensions/openpower-pels/json_utils.hpp b/extensions/openpower-pels/json_utils.hpp
index c972459..bf90d9b 100644
--- a/extensions/openpower-pels/json_utils.hpp
+++ b/extensions/openpower-pels/json_utils.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <fstream>
 #include <iomanip>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <memory>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -31,10 +32,10 @@
  * @param[in] size_t indentCount - The number of indent levels to indent
  * @param[in] bool toJson - if true, output lines as JSON array, else print
  *            output as plain text
- * @return char * - the Hex dump
+ * @return std::unique_ptr<char[]> - the Hex dump
  */
-char* dumpHex(const void* data, size_t size, size_t indentCount,
-              bool toJson = true);
+std::unique_ptr<char[]> dumpHex(const void* data, size_t size,
+                                size_t indentCount, bool toJson = true);
 
 /**
  * @brief Inserts key-value into a JSON string
diff --git a/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.cpp b/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.cpp
index 1f0ab67..64244c3 100644
--- a/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.cpp
+++ b/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.cpp
@@ -395,7 +395,8 @@
             section.flatten(s);
             std::string dstr =
                 dumpHex(std::data(data) + SectionHeader::flattenedSize(),
-                        data.size() - SectionHeader::flattenedSize(), 2);
+                        data.size() - SectionHeader::flattenedSize(), 2)
+                    .get();
             std::string jsonIndent(indentLevel, 0x20);
             buf += jsonIndent + "\"Data\": [\n";
             buf += dstr;
diff --git a/extensions/openpower-pels/tools/peltool.cpp b/extensions/openpower-pels/tools/peltool.cpp
index 063127f..a4b7f59 100644
--- a/extensions/openpower-pels/tools/peltool.cpp
+++ b/extensions/openpower-pels/tools/peltool.cpp
@@ -359,8 +359,9 @@
         }
         if (hexDump)
         {
-            std::cout << dumpHex(std::data(pel.data()), pel.size(), 0, false)
-                      << std::endl;
+            std::cout
+                << dumpHex(std::data(pel.data()), pel.size(), 0, false).get()
+                << std::endl;
         }
         else if (fullPEL)
         {
@@ -681,8 +682,8 @@
     {
         if (hexDump)
         {
-            std::string dstr = dumpHex(std::data(pel.data()), pel.size(), 0,
-                                       false);
+            std::string dstr =
+                dumpHex(std::data(pel.data()), pel.size(), 0, false).get();
             std::cout << dstr << std::endl;
         }
         else
@@ -888,8 +889,8 @@
             PEL pel{data};
             if (hexDump)
             {
-                std::string dstr = dumpHex(std::data(pel.data()), pel.size(), 0,
-                                           false);
+                std::string dstr =
+                    dumpHex(std::data(pel.data()), pel.size(), 0, false).get();
                 std::cout << dstr << std::endl;
             }
             else