Malformed network packets might cause a vSAN host to fail with a purple diagnostic screen

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

Issue/Introduction

Malformed or corrupt network packets in the vSAN Cluster Monitoring, Membership, and Directory Service (CMMDS) layer might cause a vSAN host to fail with a purple diagnostic screen.

The back trace was as follow:
--PSoD--
0x45389841b8a0:[0x420037719b5a]PanicvPanicInt@vmkernel#nover+0x202 stack: 0xb4
0x45389841b950:[0x42003771a47c]Panic_vPanicCumkernel#nover+0x25 stack: 0xd3c63394a72d1d65
0x45389841b970:[0x420037732560]vmk_PanicWithModuleIDCvnkernel#nover+0x41 stack: 0x45389841b9d0
0x45389841b9d0:[0x4200394395a2][email protected]#0.0.0.1+0x8b stack: 0x13e
0x45389841ba70:[0x420039439798]CMMDSAuditPreCheckpointUpdateCcom.vmware.cmmds#0.0.0.1+0x11 stack: 0x45389841f 100
0x45389841ba90:[0x42003945d392]LeaderReceiveUpdateCcom.vmware.cmnds#0.0.0.1+0x23f stack: 0x420040801590
0x45389841bc40: [0x42003945f29d ][email protected]#0.0.0.1+0x20a stack: 0xle6
0x45389841bdc0:[0x42003947f4ff]CMMDSStateRxCcom.vnware.cmnds#0.0.0.1+0x38 stack: 0x431b30d088e0
0x45389841bdf0:[0x42003947f7d7]CMMDSStateMachineReceiveLoopCcom.vmware.cmnds#0.0.0.1+0xb0 stack: 0x4312440017c8
0x45389841be90:[0x420039473b2e]CMMDSProcessorDispatchCcon.vnware.cmmds#0.0.8.1+0x83 stack: 0x431b30d00520
0x45389841bee0: [0x420038ee4e97 ][email protected] il#8.0.0.1+0x230 stack: 0xf 1918551058
0x45389841bfa0:[0x42003773a234]vmkHorIdFuncCvmkernel#nover+0x31 stack: 0x42003773a230
0x45389841bfe0:[0x420037a2c015]CpuSched_StartWorId@vmkernel#nover+0xe2 stack: 0x0
9x45389841c000:[0x4200376dbdff ]Debug_IsInitialized@vmkernel#nover+0xc stack: 8x0
base fs=0x0 gs=0x420040800000 Kgs=0x0

Environment

VMware ESXi 8.0

Resolution

This issue is resolved in the VMware ESXi 8.0 Update 3j (Build 25429389)
The fix adds full-payload checksum verification of the CMMDS layer traffic.
This verification ensures the integrity of CMMDS traffic by detecting data corruption or tampering during transmission, which improves resiliency and avoids potential failure.

Additional Information

VMware ESXi 8.0 Update 3j Release Notes
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/8-0/release-notes/esxi-update-and-patch-release-notes/vsphere-esxi-80u3j-release-notes.html