Windows error 9 (ERROR_INVALID_BLOCK): meaning and diagnosis

Status / error code:		Category:

Constant name:
Source:		Operating System:
Description: A memory block or allocation-control structure is invalid.

Could be also:
Constant	Type	OS
KERN_MEMORY_FAILURE	Kern return	Mac
ippStsNanArg	Intel Ipp Status	Any
EBADF	errno	Any
IRQL_NOT_GREATER_OR_EQUAL	BugCheck Code	Windows

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ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY	ERROR_BAD_ENVIRONMENT

ERROR_INVALID_BLOCK

The supplied memory block is not valid

ERROR_INVALID_BLOCK indicates that a block passed to a memory-management operation cannot be recognized as a valid allocation. Common causes include freeing the wrong pointer, freeing an interior address, double-free, and mixing different allocators.

Debugging

Record the allocation and release stacks for the pointer.
Verify that allocation and deallocation use the same runtime and heap.
Check object ownership across DLL boundaries.
Use heap diagnostics to detect the first invalid write or free.

Resolution

Correct the allocation contract. Retrying the same free or heap operation can cause further corruption and should be avoided.

References

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