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ERROR_COULD_NOT_INTERPRET
What this result means
ERROR_COULD_NOT_INTERPRET is a Windows system result. Windows could not parse or interpret supplied security information. The failing input may be a security descriptor, access-control list, SID-related structure, or serialized security data.
Why it can appear
- the buffer is truncated, has invalid offsets, or uses the wrong structure revision
- self-relative and absolute security descriptors were confused
- ACL or ACE lengths do not match the actual buffer
- data from another platform, process, or storage format was treated as a native Windows descriptor
Troubleshooting steps
- Record the API, input length, descriptor control flags, revision, and whether the descriptor is self-relative
- Validate the descriptor with supported Windows security APIs before applying it
- dump SIDs, ACL sizes, ACE types, and offsets without exposing sensitive identities publicly
- Compare the producer and consumer architecture and serialization contract
Correct recovery and handling
Reject malformed security data and rebuild it through supported APIs. Do not attempt to repair unknown descriptors by adjusting offsets heuristically. Preserve the original bytes for controlled debugging.
Related and easily confused conditions
This differs from access denied: Windows failed before making an authorization decision. Granting more privileges will not make malformed security information interpretable.
References
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