vCenter Server vpxd service crashes during Host Profile operations (GenerateHostConfigTaskSpecLRO)

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• The vCenter Server becomes unresponsive or disconnects unexpectedly because the vpxd service crashes and generates a core.vpxd-worker dump file in /var/core.

• The crash occurs specifically when performing Host Profile operations (e.g., checking compliance, generating host configurations, or remediating a host).

• In the /var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log (or relevant vpxd-*.log file), you will see the GenerateHostConfigTaskSpecLRO task initiated immediately before the crash

Environment

vCenter 8x

Cause

This issue is caused by a null pointer dereference within the vpxd service.

When a Host Profile task (GenerateHostConfigTaskSpecLRO) is executed, the system attempts to evaluate compliance and add default value options (Vpxd::Prof::Util::AddDefaultValueOptions). During this process, it encounters a Host Profile that has a missing, invalid, or corrupted compliance profile expression. Because the service does not handle this null object (ComplianceProfile::GetExpression (this=0x0)) gracefully, it results in a memory access violation, causing vpxd to panic and abort.

Resolution

Because this is a crash within the compiled vpxd binary triggered by corrupt profile data, there is no direct configuration file fix. To restore stability and prevent further crashes, perform the following steps:

1. Identify the Problematic Profile/Host: Look at the vpxd logs leading up to the crash to identify which specific ESXi host or Host Profile triggered the GenerateHostConfigTaskSpecLRO task.

2. Detach the Host Profile

   1. Log in to the vSphere Client using an account with administrative privileges.

   2. Click the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left and select Policies and Profiles.

   3. In the left navigation pane, click on Host Profiles.

   4. In the main window, right-click the problematic Host Profile that you need to remove.

   5. Select Detach from Host/Cluster.

   6. In the dialog box that appears, select all the hosts and clusters currently attached to the profile, and click Detach, then click OK or Finish.

   Delete the Host Profile

   1. Still in the Host Profiles view, right-click the now-detached Host Profile.

   2. Select Delete from the dropdown menu.

   3. A confirmation prompt will appear asking if you are sure you want to delete the profile. Click Yes (or OK) to confirm.

3. Recreate the Host Profile:

   • Do not attempt to edit or re-apply the corrupted Host Profile.

   • Delete the corrupted Host Profile from vCenter.

   • Extract a brand new Host Profile from a known-good, compliant reference host.

   • Re-attach the newly created Host Profile to your cluster or hosts.

4. Avoid Triggering the Bug: If a specific setting in the Host Profile is known to be causing the malformed expression upon extraction, isolate that setting and exclude it from the profile if possible.

5. Contact Support: If the issue persists with newly created profiles, engage Broadcom/VMware Global Support Services (GSS) and provide the core dumps and backtraces. This represents an unhandled exception in the code that may require an official patch to resolve permanently.

Additional Information

vmware-vpxd service crashes intermittently, generating core.vpxd-worker.##### under /var/core