Just a quick heads up on a patching topic…there’s an important consideration regarding VMSA-2025-0010 patching for vCenter Server 7.x environments.

The current security advisory recommends patching vCenter 7.x to version 7.0U3v to address the vulnerability. However…there is no direct upgrade path from 7.0U3v to vCenter 8.0 due to a back-in-time compatibility issue, as newer releases do not recognize older patches.

You can see in the Broadcom Interoperability Matrix, 7.0U3v doesn’t show as an upgrade path in the far-left column, and at the time I am writing this, the version 7.0U3v is not even listed.

The Release Notes for 7.0U3v call this issue out as well with an added link to the vCenter back-in-time release upgrade restrictions KB:

Upgrading from vCenter 7.0 Update 3v to vCenter 8.0 Update 3e is not supported due to back-in-time release restrictions.

A future vCenter 8.0U3 release will provide an upgrade path, however no estimated release date is available at this time.

To address the VMSA-2025-0010 vulnerability and ensure compatibility with future vSphere 8 updates, it’s recommended to upgrade vCenter 7.x systems directly to vCenter 8.0U3e whenever feasible, rather than applying the 7.0U3v patch.

Upgrading to vCenter 8.0U3e not only resolves the VMSA-2025-0010 vulnerability but also paves the way for a smooth transition from vSphere 7 to vSphere 8. With vSphere 7’s end of support looming on October 2, 2025—just a few months away—moving to vCenter 8.0 now ensures your environment remains supported, secure, and ready for future vSphere 8 updates.

Hopefully having this information helped make a better outcome. Have you hit snags with vCenter upgrades? Drop a comment with your tips or questions—I’d love to hear from you!