gchq/CyberChef · error · OperationError

must be less than or equal to .

Error message

${this.name} must be less than or equal to ${this.max}.

What it means

Thrown by Ingredient.validate() when type is 'number', the value is a valid number, but it exceeds the ingredient's configured max (line 139). max is an optional numeric ceiling declared in the ingredient config.

Solutions

1. Lower the value to at most max.
2. If the ceiling is wrong, raise max in the ingredient config and re-verify.
3. Clamp with Math.min(max, value) before assigning.

Example fix

// before - max is 1023
op.ingValues = [2000];

// after
op.ingValues = [1023];

if (typeof max === 'number' && val > max) throw new Error(`${name} > max ${max}`);

function atOrBelowMax(v, max): v is number { return typeof v === 'number' && (max == null || v <= max); }

try { op.ingValues = [val]; } catch (e) { if (/less than or equal to/.test(e.message)) { val = max; } }

When it happens

Trigger: A numeric ingredient with max:N receives a value strictly greater than N; e.g. an offset ingredient with max:1023 gets 2000.

Common situations: User enters a too-large value for length/rounds/offset; programmatic recipe generation overshoots; an operation tightened its max in a newer version.

Related errors

• must be greater than or equal to .
• must be a number.
• must be an integer.
• Invalid ingredient value. Not a number
• cannot be empty.

AI-assisted analysis of gchq/CyberChef@4290ea7539 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a46ffb5c4eb59c8d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/core/Ingredient.mjs:139

            }
            if (checkVal instanceof Uint8Array && checkVal.length > this.maxLength) {
                throw new OperationError(`${this.name} length cannot exceed ${this.maxLength}.`);
            }
        }

        // 3. number checks
        if (this.type === "number") {
            if (checkVal === null || checkVal === undefined || isNaN(checkVal)) {
                throw new OperationError(`${this.name} must be a number.`);
            }
            if (this.integer && !Number.isInteger(checkVal)) {
                throw new OperationError(`${this.name} must be an integer.`);
            }
            if (typeof this.min === "number" && checkVal < this.min) {
                throw new OperationError(`${this.name} must be greater than or equal to ${this.min}.`);
            }
            if (typeof this.max === "number" && checkVal > this.max) {
                throw new OperationError(`${this.name} must be less than or equal to ${this.max}.`);
            }
        }

        // 4. option checks
        if (this.type === "option") {
            if (Array.isArray(this.defaultValue)) {
                const permittedOptions = this.defaultValue.filter(opt => {
                    if (typeof opt !== "string") return false;
                    return !opt.match(/^\[\/?[a-z0-9 -()^]+\]$/i);
                });
                const valStr = (checkVal !== null && checkVal !== undefined) ? String(checkVal).toLowerCase() : "";
                const matchedOption = permittedOptions.find(opt => opt.toLowerCase() === valStr);
                if (!matchedOption) {
                    throw new OperationError(`${this.name} must be one of the following: ${permittedOptions.join(", ")}.`);
                }
            }
        }

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