BSOD 16 (SPIN_LOCK_NOT_OWNED): causes and diagnosis

Status / error code:		Category:

Constant name:
Source:		Operating System:
Description: A kernel component attempted to release or operate on a spin lock it did not own.

Could be also:
Constant	Type	OS
ERROR_CURRENT_DIRECTORY	Win32 error	Windows
KERN_INVALID_TASK	Kern return	Mac
ippStsZeroOcc	Intel Ipp Status	Any
EBUSY	errno	Any

SPIN_LOCK_NOT_OWNED

Spin lock ownership violation

SPIN_LOCK_NOT_OWNED is bug check code 0x00000010. Spin locks protect data at elevated IRQL and require strict acquire/release pairing. This bug check indicates that the current path did not own the spin lock state it tried to release or otherwise manipulate.

How to read it in a dump

The failing stack should show the lock owner path or release routine.
Check whether the driver mixed queued and ordinary spin-lock APIs or released a lock on an error path that never acquired it.
IRQL and lock nesting are central to interpretation.

What to check

Audit every acquire/release pair for the lock object.
Check cancellation, timeout, interrupt, DPC, and unwind paths.
Use Driver Verifier and special pool when memory corruption could have overwritten the lock object.

References

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