VMware patches lock-out bug

VMware has patched a bug that had crippled its server software

VMware has patched a bug that was leaving users of its ESX server virtualisation tool locked out of their systems.

The patch is considered a permanent fix for the flaw and should solve the problem of systems locking users out.

The issue is a remnant from an earlier test build of the ESX and ESXi 3.5 Update 2 release. The test builds had been set to expire on 12 August, requiring any users to upgrade to the final versions of the software.

However, the feature was not properly disabled and on Tuesday morning users began reporting errors that were preventing virtualised systems from completing the "power on" operation.

Initially, the errors raised fears among users that a security flaw had been found and exploited. The company quickly quashed those ideas and traced the source of the flaw.

By Tuesday evening, the company had issued a temporary fix.

Users were also able to circumvent the error by turning back the date and time settings on their systems, though doing so can often cause problems with other applications that rely on the date and time setting.