macOS kernel return 1 (KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS): meaning and diagnosis

Status / error code:		Category:

Constant name:
Source:		Operating System:
Description: Mach VM could not use the requested address because the target task has no valid mapping there.

Could be also:
Constant	Type	OS
ERROR_INVALID_FUNCTION	Win32 error	Windows
STATUS_WAIT_1	NTSTATUS	Windows
kOSReturnError	Kern return	Mac
ippStsNoOperation	Intel Ipp Status	Any
S_FALSE	HRESULT	Windows
WDSCP_CATEGORY	HRESULT	Windows
WDSMCSERVER_CATEGORY	HRESULT	Windows
WDSTPTMGMT_CATEGORY	HRESULT	Windows
EPERM	errno	Any
APC_INDEX_MISMATCH	BugCheck Code	Windows

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kOSReturnError	KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE

KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS

KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS is a Mach virtual-memory result. The address supplied to the operation is not valid in the target task's current address map. It is not the same as a POSIX EFAULT displayed by a high-level API, although both often point to an invalid memory range.

The important distinction is between an address that has no usable mapping and an address that is mapped but has insufficient permissions. XNU uses KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE for the second case. This distinction matters when diagnosing a failed mach_vm_* operation, a debugger, or code working with another process: changing page protections cannot repair a hole in the address map.

What to check

Confirm that the task port refers to the intended, still-active task.
Check the full range, not only its first byte; a request can cross an unmapped boundary.
Revalidate addresses obtained earlier. A region can be unmapped, replaced, or become inaccessible before a later Mach call.
For a fixed-address allocation, verify that the requested address and length match the target task's current map.

Mach models each task as owning a sparse virtual address space. The VM interface manages that map; a numerical address is meaningful only in the relevant task and only while its mapping remains present.

References

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