1. A computer-implemented method comprising: communicating a memory pointer from a first processor of a network device to a second processor, wherein the memory pointer addresses a packet in a local memory of the first processor; maintaining, using the first processor, a locally-stored copy of the memory pointer; receiving the memory pointer back from the second processor; comparing at least a portion of the memory pointer received from the second processor with an equivalent portion of the locally-stored copy of the memory pointer; determining that the received memory pointer has been corrupted when the portion of the received memory pointer does not match the equivalent portion of the locally-stored copy of the memory pointer; and using the locally-stored copy of the memory pointer instead of the received memory pointer when the received memory pointer has been corrupted.