Groups in protobuf are written as a start/end numeric pair - kinda like how <foo>
needs a </foo>
, but in a different format. Essentially it is complaining that it found a </bar>
instead (just: the xml is only a metaphor). The details are in the encoding specification, but the long and short is that one of:
- the data is inherently corrupt (either by damage of by a faulty encoder), or
- the data is becoming corrupt while reading, or
- the data is fine and you gave a faulty decoder
If I had to guess, the data has been damaged in transit - because that is so frighteningly common