Check if task result is nil and return error (#9354)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -59,9 +59,10 @@
 * builder/vagrant: Use absolute path for package_include files to prevent them
     from having to be relative to the output vagrant directory. [GH-9260]
 * builder/virtualbox: Fix bug using checksum files. [GH-9101]
-* builder/vSphere: Add option not to set host during datastore upload. [GH-9100
+* builder/vsphere: Add option not to set host during datastore upload. [GH-9100
 * builder/vsphere: Fix iso config prepare being called incorrectly, which
     caused `iso_url` field to fail. [GH-9197]
+* builder/vsphere: Fix crash in the driver for an interface conversion of types.AnyType nil to types.ManagedObjectReference. [GH-9354]
 * core: Ensure HTTP server information `PackerHTTPIP`, `PackerHTTPPort`, and
     `PackerHTTPAddr` are available via the `build` template engine for all
     supported builders [GH-9238]

builder/vsphere/driver/vm.go

@@ -205,7 +205,10 @@ func (d *Driver) CreateVM(config *CreateConfig) (*VirtualMachine, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	vmRef := taskInfo.Result.(types.ManagedObjectReference)
+	vmRef, ok := taskInfo.Result.(types.ManagedObjectReference)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("something went wrong when creating the VM")
+	}
 
 	return d.NewVM(&vmRef), nil
 }
@@ -326,7 +329,11 @@ func (vm *VirtualMachine) Clone(ctx context.Context, config *CloneConfig) (*Virt
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	vmRef := info.Result.(types.ManagedObjectReference)
+	vmRef, ok := info.Result.(types.ManagedObjectReference)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("something went wrong when cloning the VM")
+	}
+
 	created := vm.driver.NewVM(&vmRef)
 	return created, nil
 }