Here you go -> SAP Note 489887.
If roles created with ranges and transported in that era are still used and the table sync has not been triggered since then, then might have this phenomenon if you used and changed ranges a lot.
Unfortunately SAP does not run this function module automatically anymore - however there are still old roles out there...
Best is to avoid ranges completely and if you do use it then with correct syntax.
Cheers,
Julius
ps: The thread was already closed, but this brought back many memories of confusion back in 46C days and then it dawned on me that the roles might still be in circulation... then another thing dawned on me about upload / download tolerances for roles. Then the puzzle pieces were put together... :-)