Error: #PF Exception 14 in vmkusb during network transmit on ESXi 8.x

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

An ESXi 8.x host experiences a Purple Diagnostic Screen (PSOD) with the following characteristics:

• Panic Message: @BlueScreen: #PF Exception 14 in world ####:vmk-1-xt-0 IP 0x#### addr 0x####
• Backtrace: The crash involves the vmkusb module in the network transmit path:

  [e-mail]
  uether_start@(vmkusb)
  UetherUplinkTx@(vmkusb)
  UplinkDevTransmit@vmkernel
  NetSchedFIFORunLocked@(netsched_fifo)
  TcpipTxDispatch@(tcpip4)

• The issue is often associated with the vusb0 virtual USB NIC device built into Dell iDRAC.

Environment

• VMware ESXi 8.0.3
• VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) on Dell VxRail

Cause

A race condition occurs in the vmkusb driver when a virtual USB device is detaching while a packet transfer is being processed by the network transmit (Tx) thread.

Resolution

This issue is currently under investigation by Engineering. A fix is targeted for a future release (8.x and 9.x).

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If you require further assistance, contact Broadcom Support. To speak with a customer representative or a Support Engineer, see Contact Support. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on your respective region.

Additional Information

This issue specifically impacts the virtual USB NIC functionality. Ensure BIOS and iDRAC firmware are updated to the latest supported versions for your VCF release to maintain stability.