C23: > The unary * operator denotes indirection. If the operand points to a function, the result is a function designator; if it points to an object, the resul

C23: > The unary * operator denotes indirection. If the operand points to a function, the result is a function designator; if it points to an object, the result is an lvalue designating the object. If the operand has type "pointer to type", the result has type "type". If an invalid value has been assigned to the pointer, the behavior of the unary * operator is undefined. below in a note (emphasis mine): > Among the invalid values for dereferencing a pointer by the unary * operator are a null pointer, an address inappropriately aligned for the type of object pointed to, and the address of an object after the end of its lifetime. Now the note is not normative, but I assume there are normative wording for defining what the "invalid" pointer values are, scattered around in the standard. C++: https://eel.is/c++draft/expr.unary.op#1.sentence-4 https://eel.is/c++draft/expr.unary.op#1.sentence-4 C++ is very particular in what it means for a pointer to point to an object, and this is also UB there.