"kernel BUG" reported in dmesg with VMWare and Ubuntu 17.04

[Hans Erickson]

This has happened to me several times in the last few days since I upgraded from VMWare 12.5.2 and Ubuntu 16.10 to VMWare 12.5.5 and Ubuntu 17.04. The crash has thus far always been associated with firefox and leaves an un-killable zombie firefox process that requires a reboot.

1. The ardware is virtual. (VMWare)
2. I'm not sure how to reproduce it, since it seems to happen randomly, but fairly frequently.
3. The bug didn't occur before the upgrade to VMWare 12.5.5 and Ubuntu 17.04.

Please note that I had to run "ubuntu-bug linux" after rebooting because running it before rebooting just hung the process.

I will attach a "cut here/end trace" section of the dmesg log separately.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.04
Package: linux-image-4.10.0-20-generic 4.10.0-20.22
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.10.0-20.22-generic 4.10.8
Uname: Linux 4.10.0-20-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.4-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: hans 2006 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity:Unity7
Date: Fri May 5 14:26:35 2017
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-09-23 (954 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140722.2)
IwConfig:
 eth0 no wireless extensions.

 lo no wireless extensions.
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0e0f:0002 VMware, Inc. Virtual USB Hub
 Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0e0f:0003 VMware, Inc. Virtual Mouse
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: VMware, Inc. VMware Virtual Platform
ProcFB: 0 svgadrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-20-generic root=UUID=ae97a35b-64e3-4db8-ba5f-bcf8b5b94986 ro quiet splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.10.0-20-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.10.0-20-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.164
RfKill:

SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to zesty on 2017-05-03 (2 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 07/02/2015
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: 6.00
dmi.board.name: 440BX Desktop Reference Platform
dmi.board.vendor: Intel Corporation
dmi.board.version: None
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: No Enclosure
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvr6.00:bd07/02/2015:svnVMware,Inc.:pnVMwareVirtualPlatform:pvrNone:rvnIntelCorporation:rn440BXDesktopReferencePlatform:rvrNone:cvnNoEnclosure:ct1:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: VMware Virtual Platform
dmi.product.version: None
dmi.sys.vendor: VMware, Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[throwaway45224 (throwaway45224)]

Related: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1683091.

Hans, do you additionally experience random and complete freezes without any "cut here" in the logs, like I do?