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OSS_BAD_PTR
OSS_BAD_PTR (0x8009300B) is an OSS ASN.1 runtime result for unexpected null inside the value graph. The encoder follows a generated pointer that should designate a component or collection element but finds null, indicating an incompletely built object. Because the exact generated member reached before failure is central to this condition, Microsoft’s HRESULT range and the OSS Nokalva return-code documentation should be read together. Start the investigation by recording presence bits, CHOICE selector, and list counts, then separate the encoded value from generated artifacts, call arguments, and the runtime package actually loaded by the process.
Interpretation at runtime
At the unexpected null inside the value graph boundary, capture the first OSS function returning the value and note whether the operation was encode, decode, copy, compare, constraint validation, or trace setup. Preserve the selected PDU, encoding rules, and ownership and lifetime of nested allocations; otherwise an outer certificate or security wrapper may hide the useful codec result behind a generic failure.
Keep the original bytes or object graph unchanged while testing construct the same value using generated initializers. A change in presence bits, CHOICE selector, and list counts after reload, plugin replacement, restart, or schema deployment is evidence about runtime state, not permission to discard the reproducer. When ownership and lifetime of nested allocations points to one message, retain a cryptographic hash and the smallest safe sample instead of logging certificate, subscriber, credential, or private-key material.
Diagnostic record
| Record | Diagnostic value |
|---|---|
| the exact generated member reached before failure | Locates the concrete message, allocation, module, or API boundary |
| presence bits, CHOICE selector, and list counts | Separates payload-dependent behavior from build and process state |
| ownership and lifetime of nested allocations | Makes the comparison reproducible without rewriting the original artifact |
Small experiments with high signal
- construct the same value using generated initializers
- walk pointer-bearing fields before encoding
- run the producer under address sanitization or page heap
Avoid the wrong workaround: the result
BAD_ARG concerns parameters passed to the codec; BAD_PTR points inside the ASN.1 value supplied for encoding.
Instrumentation
Record the full 32-bit HRESULT and lower OSS return number together with operation direction, symbolic PDU, encoding rule, byte count, and generated-table identifier. Where the exact generated member reached before failure can expose sensitive content, a hash plus a bounded structural excerpt is safer than the complete payload. Use presence bits, CHOICE selector, and list counts together with OSS module paths and versions logged once per process so packaging differences can be correlated without flooding normal diagnostics.
Decision matrix
| Controlled observation | Conclusion it supports |
|---|---|
| construct the same value using generated initializers | A changed outcome isolates the first proposed control instead of a blind retry |
| the exact generated member reached before failure differs between success and failure | The difference localizes the unexpected null inside the value graph boundary before unrelated settings are changed |
| An independent decoder accepts the same artifact | Inspect generated schema, selected rules, ABI, and optional OSS modules before declaring the bytes invalid |
| A fresh control object changes the outcome | Investigate initialization, lifecycle, allocator ownership, configuration mutation, and concurrent access |
Proof of recovery: the result
Build values through generated APIs, keep selector and presence metadata consistent, and add a structural validation test. A recovery test built around construct the same value using generated initializers should replay the same operation under the same schema and encoding rule, retain one deliberately invalid control, and verify ownership and cleanup after both outcomes. Success after an unexamined retry is not proof that the exact generated member reached before failure now satisfies the codec contract.
Technical references
- Microsoft: OSS ASN.1 HRESULT definitions
- OSS Nokalva: encoder/decoder return codes
- OSS Nokalva: runtime functions and control initialization
- Relevant ASN.1 specification or runtime detail
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