Security Problem With Shared Folders

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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saberman
Posts: 292
Joined: 21. Dec 2009, 00:32
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows XP, 7, 8.1, 10

Security Problem With Shared Folders

Post by saberman »

VB 4.2.16
Host: Windows 7 Ultimate x64 with all patches
Guest: Windows 7 Ultimate x64 with all patches
Access 2010 with all patches

Not sure if this is a VirtualBox problem or a Windows 7 problem. I have a few folders defined as shared by the guest. Access mode is full. I have them mapped in the guest. The folders are defined as trusted in guest.

If I open an Access database and select File/Compact & Repair Database I get the following error:
The compact and repair operation has been cancelled. You might not have adequate permissions to the folder that the databsae is located in. You need full permissions to the directory the database is located to compact and repair. Contact your system administrator for more information.

If I map the same folder via a reference to the host: \\<host name>\<path to shared folder> I can open the same database and compact & repair it.

I am also getting all sorts of error messages in Access about another user having the database open when I am the only user on the machine and the host is the machine I am using. I am not sure but I think the problem started after the latest patch tuesday. So one of Microsoft's security patches made have broken something in the VirtualBox shared folder process.

Any suggestions on how to get around this would be appreciated.
saberman
Posts: 292
Joined: 21. Dec 2009, 00:32
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows XP, 7, 8.1, 10

Re: Security Problem With Shared Folders

Post by saberman »

It was not due to patch Tuesday. I restored to a restore point that was before November's patches were applied.

I don't know what else could have changed. But shared folders do not work and play well with Microsoft's security.
saberman
Posts: 292
Joined: 21. Dec 2009, 00:32
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows XP, 7, 8.1, 10

Re: Security Problem With Shared Folders

Post by saberman »

Upgraded to VB 4.3.2 -- Problem persists
johnywhy
Posts: 22
Joined: 21. Jan 2009, 22:32

Re: Security Problem With Shared Folders

Post by johnywhy »

i am having this problem too, but i suspect it's not due to permissions, but due to the fact that it's a shared VirtualBox folder.

i'm running Windows inside virtualbox. The Access file is in a shared virtualbox folder. To prove this is the problem, i copied the Access file to the native Windows partition, and the compact & repair process worked on that copy.

This thread says "This issue occurs because a new file is created in the offline cache when you try to compact the Access database file. However, Access 2010 cannot process a new file that is located in the offline cache. To work around this issue, save the Access database file in a folder that does not cache offline files."
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2834831

Not sure what they mean by "a new file"-- my Access file is not "new".

hoping to find a way to compact Access files in VirtualBox folders. Maybe it IS a permissions issue, and i need to give Access permissions to the cache?

thx
Martin
Volunteer
Posts: 2562
Joined: 30. May 2007, 18:05
Primary OS: Fedora other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: XP, Win7, Win10, Linux, OS/2

Re: Security Problem With Shared Folders

Post by Martin »

Virtualbox shared folders are not designed to be used by programs. They don't implement all the features for that.
Shared folders are just there for an easy way to copy files between guest and host.
If you need full functionality you would need to setup normal network file sharing.
johnywhy
Posts: 22
Joined: 21. Jan 2009, 22:32

Re: Security Problem With Shared Folders

Post by johnywhy »

Martin wrote:Virtualbox shared folders are not designed to be used by programs.
ok.
can you refer me to any VirtualBox documentation that explains this?

Is this the "cached folder" info i posted above?

thx
saberman
Posts: 292
Joined: 21. Dec 2009, 00:32
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows XP, 7, 8.1, 10

Re: Security Problem With Shared Folders

Post by saberman »

Shared folders do not emulate a true network drive with all of the security features Microsoft products expect. They are closer to DOS 32 formats than NTFS formats and many Microsoft products get consfused when looking for security objects.
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