What does macOS kernel return 0xDC008002 (kOSKextReturnNoMemory) mean?

 
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kOSKextReturnInternalError kOSKextReturnNoResources

kOSKextReturnNoMemory

Memory allocation failed during a kext operation

kOSKextReturnNoMemory means that the OSKext operation could not allocate required memory. It is narrower than a general “kext cannot load” result: XNU reserves a different status, kOSKextReturnNoResources, for non-memory resources such as available load tags.

This result is meaningful only together with the phase that needed the allocation. A failure while parsing bundle metadata, resolving dependencies, preparing an executable image, or assembling a collection may have different operational consequences even though all use the same memory status.

Diagnostic split

StatusWhat it identifies
kOSKextReturnNoMemoryMemory allocation required by the OSKext operation failed.
kOSKextReturnNoResourcesA different loader resource is exhausted; XNU gives load tags as an example.
kOSKextReturnCacheProcessing of a system kext cache failed; it is not automatically an allocation error.

What to capture

  • The exact operation and bundle set being processed, not only the top-level target kext.
  • Memory-pressure and failure evidence from the same time window, while keeping it separate from virtual-address or policy failures.
  • Whether the failure is reproducible with the same dependency graph after a restart or only during a specific collection-build attempt.

References


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