Steps to reproduce:

$ PACKER_VAR_FILES=oci.json make build-oci-oracle-linux-9

.......
==> oracle-oci: Running goss tests...
==> oracle-oci: Running GOSS render command: cd /tmp/goss && /tmp/goss-0.3.23-linux-amd64 --gossfile goss/goss.yaml --vars /tmp/goss/goss-vars.yaml --vars-inline '{"ARCH":"amd64","OS":"oracle linux","PROVIDER":"oci","containerd_version":"1.7.20","kubernetes_cni_deb_version":"","kubernetes_cni_rpm_version":"","kubernetes_cni_source_type":"pkg","kubernetes_cni_version":"1.2.0","kubernetes_deb_version":"1.32.4-1.1","kubernetes_rpm_version":"1.32.4","kubernetes_source_type":"pkg","kubernetes_version":"1.32.4"}' render > /tmp/goss-spec.yaml
==> oracle-oci: 2025/05/21 14:13:41 could not read json data in goss/goss-package.yaml: template: test:61:26: executing "test" at <.Vars.OS_VERSION>: map has no entry for key "OS_VERSION"
==> oracle-oci: Provisioning step had errors: Running the cleanup provisioner, if present...
==> oracle-oci: Terminating instance (ocid1.instance.oc1.iad.asdgfasdf.......)...
==> oracle-oci: Terminated instance.
Build 'oracle-oci' errored after 10 minutes 52 seconds: Error running Goss: goss non-zero exit status

==> Wait completed after 10 minutes 52 seconds

==> Some builds didn't complete successfully and had errors:
--> oracle-oci: Error running Goss: goss non-zero exit status

==> Builds finished but no artifacts were created.
make: *** [Makefile:586: build-oci-oracle-linux-9] Error 1

Workaround:

edit images/capi/packer/oci/packer.json and add line "OS_VERSION": "{{user distro_version | lower}}", in goss section

"type": "goss",
"url": "{{user goss_url}}",
"use_sudo": true,
"vars_file": "{{user goss_vars_file}}",
"vars_inline": {
"ARCH": "amd64",
"OS": "{{user distribution | lower }}",
"OS_VERSION": "{{user distro_version | lower}}", <======THIS ONE HERE
"PROVIDER": "oci",

Re-run "make build-oci-oracle-linux-9" and command will complete successfully

/kind bug