Can viruses spread through virtual os then to the host?

nerd0795 · Post by **nerd0795** » 9. Jun 2008, 02:14

I want to use virtualbox to install Windows ME into a virtual machine. I am training to become a computer repair person and I thought screwing up Windows ME will train me to fix it. The thing is... if I get a virus so I can disinfect my virtual machine for practice. Can I infect the host while doing it.

Forgive me if I posted this in the wrong place.

Or I misread the manual which has a paragraph answering my question.

Post by **frank** » 9. Jun 2008, 09:32

It is not impossible but very unlikely that a guest virus infects your host. Note that your guest is executed in a virtual machine. To infect your host the virus had to overcome the VM barrier (find some whole in the VirtualBox hardware emulation), then it has to overcome the user-level barrier (guest code is executed with restricted rights on the host) and finally it has to overcome the security barriers of your host system. So I can indeed suggest you to use VirtualBox to execute Windows guest in a safe sandbox.

Post by **Sasquatch** » 9. Jun 2008, 09:32

Use the search, discussed before.