A large number of VMware users who have opted for an open-source alternative may be operating on outdated software.

A report from RunZero claimed VMware users disgruntled with Broadcom's cloud push are turning in droves to Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE), an open-source virtual machine (VM) alternative.

Alongside a “massive increase” in Proxmox deployments, RunZero detected an increase in out-of-date and end-of-life installations of the software, with only a small percentage of users keeping up with the latest patches.

Linked with the release schedule for open-source operating system (OS) Debian, the latest iterations of Proxmox VE are versions 9.0.11 and 8.4.14, with everything prior to version 8 at end-of-life (EoL) status.

“The entire operating system no longer receives security updates, not just the Proxmox VE software,” wrote RunZero founder HD Moore. “This means that every new vulnerability in Debian may also impact these older versions, including supporting services like OpenSSH.”

Proxmox users were encouraged to run an asset inventory to find outdated instances of the software in order to avoid security vulnerabilities.

The reported rise of Proxmox installations comes as VMware users have reported migration issues and price increases in the wake of Broadcom’s acquisition of the VM giant.

Troubles in the VMware ecosystem have seen the number of alternatives rise in recent months, with vendors and system integrators such as Caylent, OVHcloud, and Platform9 joining the likes of Nutanix in offering exit options for existing VMware customers.

Broadcom also faces stiff competition from the major cloud vendors, with research giant Gartner warning that VMware will lose 35% of workloads by 2028, as hyperscalers such as Google Cloud and Microsoft prove an attractive proposition for current customers.

Further compounding matters, Broadcom was recently given a “red warning” from the Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE).

The trade group criticized Broadcom for what it saw as anticompetitive pricing in the wake of the acquisition, citing “significant new forms of unfair licensing behavior” imposed by the firm on European cloud vendors and their customers.