What does macOS kernel return 8 (KERN_NO_ACCESS) mean?

 
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ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORYWin32 errorWindows
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KERN_NOT_RECEIVER KERN_MEMORY_FAILURE

KERN_NO_ACCESS

KERN_NO_ACCESS is a legacy Mach return value whose XNU header describes only as a “bogus access restriction.” The symbolic name is therefore less specific than it looks: it does not identify a missing port right, a virtual-memory protection failure, a sandbox decision, or an entitlement problem.

Do not interpret this code as an interchangeable spelling of POSIX EACCES. In the same Mach return-code family, KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE describes a mapped range with insufficient VM protection and KERN_DENIED identifies denial by security policy. The API that returned KERN_NO_ACCESS is needed to determine whether it represents a historical internal path or an access check exposed by that interface.

What to retain for diagnosis

  • Record the exact Mach interface and its target port or task.
  • Inspect API-specific logs before changing permissions or entitlements.
  • Check the concrete resource model: Mach port right, VM mapping protection, or a higher-level service policy.
  • Keep the original numeric kern_return_t when translating errors at a POSIX or application boundary.

References


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