macOS kernel return 0xDC00800C (kOSKextReturnValidation): meaning

Status / error code:		Category:

Constant name:
Source:		Operating System:
Description: The kernel extension did not pass one or more loader validation checks.

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kOSKextReturnNotAKext	kOSKextReturnAuthentication

kOSKextReturnValidation

A validation category, not one fixed defect

kOSKextReturnValidation means that a loader check failed, but the return value intentionally does not identify the exact rule. The useful evidence is the first related loader diagnostic: later messages can be consequences of the initial failed check. Validation is distinct from kOSKextReturnSystemPolicy, which says that macOS policy blocked a kext that reached the policy decision.

Apple's open-source kext loading tool performs validation and access checks before attempting a load. A failure can concern the target bundle itself or a bundle the loader resolves while preparing the dependency set, so examining only the top-level bundle may miss the actual cause.

Collect evidence before changing configuration

Keep the first diagnostic together with the bundle identifier, executable path, macOS version, and boot architecture.
Check that the bundle actually being evaluated is the intended build and has not been altered after packaging or signing.
Inspect the complete resolved dependency set; a validation failure in one dependency can make the requested extension unavailable.
Do not treat this as a generic approval problem until the diagnostics show that policy, rather than validation, was decisive.

References

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