NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · IllegalArgumentException

Total step count exceeds LONG_MAX

Error message

Total step count exceeds LONG_MAX

What it means

Thrown by AbstractStep.advance(long steps) when the new total tickCount + steps overflows a signed long (detected because the result wrapped to negative). This protects against silent overflow in schedule step counts which are used as execution limits.

Solutions

1. Cap the desired step count at Long.MAX_VALUE rather than advancing beyond it.
2. Check overflow explicitly before advancing: if (Long.MAX_VALUE - step.getTickCount() < steps) clamp.
3. Reconsider why the count is so large; schedules are bounded by real execution time.

Example fix

// before
step.advance(hugeDelta);

// after
long headroom = Long.MAX_VALUE - step.getTickCount();
step.advance(Math.min(hugeDelta, headroom));

long headroom = Long.MAX_VALUE - step.getTickCount();
step.advance(Math.min(steps, headroom));

static boolean advanceFits(long cur, long add) { return add >= 0 && Long.MAX_VALUE - cur >= add; }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling advance(steps) where tickCount + steps > Long.MAX_VALUE, e.g. repeatedly advancing an already-large step, or passing an extremely large steps value.

Common situations: Aggregating/looping many advances without bounds; parsing an unbounded schedule; test inputs with Long.MAX_VALUE deltas.

Related errors

• Cannot advance a negative number
• Cannot rewind a negative number
• Cannot step a negative number
• Code unit would extend beyond address space
• Could not find a register for

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/35a7882e55948138. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at Ghidra/Debug/Framework-TraceModeling/src/main/java/ghidra/trace/model/time/schedule/AbstractStep.java:90

	public long getPatchCount() {
		return 0;
	}

	@Override
	public abstract AbstractStep clone();

	/**
	 * Add to the count of this step
	 * 
	 * @param steps the count to add
	 */
	public void advance(long steps) {
		if (steps < 0) {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot advance a negative number");
		}
		long newCount = tickCount + steps;
		if (newCount < 0) {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Total step count exceeds LONG_MAX");
		}
		this.tickCount = newCount;
	}

	@Override
	public long rewind(long steps) {
		if (steps < 0) {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot rewind a negative number");
		}
		long diff = this.tickCount - steps;
		this.tickCount = Long.max(0, diff);
		return -diff;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean isCompatible(Step step) {
		if (!(step.getClass() == this.getClass())) {
			return false;

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