PSOD on host due to processor landing in incorrect instruction address.

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Panic Error :

##### cpu##:######@BlueScreen: #PF Exception 14 in world 2098342:vmnic3-pollW IP 0x45e9c32f7740 addr 0x45e9c32f7740

PTEs:0x2bb10c023;0x4f9006063;0x8000006d058000e3;

VMware ESXi 8.0.3 [Releasebuild-24859861 x86_64]

#PF Exception 14 in world 2098342:vmnic3-pollW IP 0x45e9c32f7740 addr 0x45e9c32f7740

PTEs : 0x2bb10c023: 0x4f9006063: 0x8000006d058000e3;

cr0=0x8001003d cr2=0x45e9c32f7740 cr3=0x59a8b000 cr4=0x14216c

FMS=06/6a/6 uCode=0xd000404

frame=0x45396019b4b0 ip=0x45e9c32f7740 err=0x11 rflags=0x10206

rax=0x0 rbx=0x0 rcx=0xe

rdx=0x0 rbp=0x4306bee02040 rsi=0x45396019b6e8

rdi=0x45e9c32f7740 r8=0x420001955a38 r9=0x4306bee02350

r10=0x45396019b768 r11=0x8 r12=0x43061d6ce140

r13=0x0 r14=0x45e9a2ee2e00 r15=0x45e9c32f7740

*PCPU73:2098342/vmnic3-pollWorld-62-0x430116113c40

PCPU O: VSUUSSUUUUSVUSSU ISUSUUUUV IU IUVUUUS I IUUSUIUUIS I IVVSVSVIUSSSSUSSU

PCPU 64: UUVIUVSIVSSIVSUIVSVISIVIVIIUVIIS

Code start: 0x420001600000 VMK uptime: 4:10:29:06.804

base fs=0x0 gs=0x420052400000 Kgs=0x0

Environment

Vsphere 8.x 

Cause

According to the memory dump the PSOD happened because the processor landed on an incorrect instruction address, i.e. 0x45e9c32f7740.  This happened when calling Vmxnet3VMKDevDoRSS() from Vmxnet3VMKDevRxWithLock().

The reason the processor landed on this address is currently unknown from the available data. This suggests there might be an underlying issue with the processor itself.

 

Resolution

 Engage the hardware vendor to discuss the potential remediation such as processor replacement, updating BIOS, firmware, device driver etc.