I don't think this is a macOS-specific issue. The latest OVF Tool works correctly on recent macOS releases, so repeated authentication prompts usually indicate an authentication or command parsing issue rather than a platform bug.
One thing that stands out is that your password contains a ". Depending on how the shell interprets the command or how the password is entered when prompted, special characters can sometimes cause unexpected behavior. As a quick test, try logging in with another account that has the same privileges but a password containing only alphanumeric characters. If that works, you've narrowed the issue down considerably.
I'd also verify whether you're authenticating directly against an ESXi host or through vCenter. If you're using vCenter with SSO, specify the username in the appropriate format (for example administrator@vsphere.local or DOMAIN\user, depending on your identity source) instead of simply root, unless you're intentionally connecting to an ESXi host.