End of General Support: VMware ESXi 6.5 & 6.7

VMware will end extended support for VMware ESXi versions 6.5 and 6.7, on Saturday, October 15, 2022. More information on this end of support is available at https://core.vmware.com/blog/reminder-vsphere-6567-end-general-support.

We recommended that upgrades to ESXi 7.0 be implemented as soon as possible to avoid any vulnerabilities discovered in unsupported versions that could lead to unwanted data loss or other malicious activities.

We also urge you to check the VMware Hardware Compatibility Guide to ensure that your server hardware can support generic deployments of ESXi 7.0 prior to upgrading. The guide is available at https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php. Also, consider checking other hardware compatibility lists with specific server vendors, as most provide a build tailored to their hardware. Other virtual appliances may also require different versions of VMware ESXi. Assess risk to ensure that third-party vendor requirements for versions and builds are supported and receive adequate patching either by VMware or the vendor.

At any time, your IT administrators or managed service provider can check the latest version availability of VMware ESXi at https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2143832. Current support contracts will also allow access to current version and build information from VMware or other vendors with specific requirements.

Authored by: Mike Smith, CBISO