| Previous | Next |
| kOSKextReturnNoResources | kOSKextReturnInvalidArgument |
kOSKextReturnNotPrivileged
An authorization result from the OSKext interface
kOSKextReturnNotPrivileged says that the caller lacks the privileges required for the requested operation. It is not evidence that the kext is unsigned, malformed, missing an architecture, or rejected by system policy; those are distinct loader stages with their own results.
The useful unit of investigation is the initiating process and deployment path. A command run with different credentials, an installer, a management service, and a kernel-side request can reach different authorization decisions even when they refer to the same bundle.
Keep these decisions separate
| Status | Diagnostic question |
|---|---|
kOSKextReturnNotPrivileged | Was the caller allowed to ask for this operation? |
kOSKextReturnAuthentication | Did authentication of the selected kext fail? |
kOSKextReturnSystemPolicy | Did macOS policy block loading after the request was made? |
What to record
- The calling executable, user or management identity, operation, and target bundle identifier.
- Whether the Mac is locally administered or receives a kernel-extension policy through device management.
- The approval and restart state required by the macOS release, without weakening platform protections simply to bypass the status.
References
- Apple XNU: OSKextLib.h
- Apple Platform Deployment: kext approval and restart flow
- Apple Kernel Extension Policy payload
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.