Disable Internet access ENTIRELY!

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
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zRwk
Posts: 1
Joined: 13. Oct 2015, 17:32

Disable Internet access ENTIRELY!

Post by zRwk »

Hi,

I'm currently working on my final year project at my university and am doing a forensic analysis of a registry on a fresh windows 10 install.

Anyway, I need it to be frozen in time as best I can whilst I edit the OS, which means I need to disable internet access in case any updates come through. Is it possible to do this, and if so, how do I go about doing it. I've checked around but can't seem to find a straight forward answer.

Also, once it is disabled, is it possible to re-enable it?

Many thanks,

Reece

edit: Host is Windows 10, VM is of Windows 10. Using VirtualBox 5.0.6.
Rootman
Posts: 251
Joined: 1. Oct 2012, 18:29

Re: Disable Internet access ENTIRELY!

Post by Rootman »

Well the first thing I can think of is simply "pull the plug" on the virtual NIC. Edit the VM's settings and select NETWORK. Go to the NICs property page and uncheck CABLE CONNECTED. This is the same as yanking the ethernet cable out of a physical machine. Alternately on the same NICs property page simply select NOT ATTACHED in the ATTACHED TO dialog. This of course halts ALL networking.

If you just need INTERNET access ONLY disabled then this would be more a function of the OS, that is Windows and not really a function of virtualization. It would be done the same way that it would be on a physical machine.

[*]Locking it down in the firewall would work - MS's implementation of firewall rules is lacking so an aftermarket util might be in order.
[*]You could also set it for a static IP address and give it a false gateway in the VM's Windows NICs IPV4 properties. This would allow it to talk over the local LAN on it's own subnet but not let it escape through to the internet.

Fixing all of these to allow access again is imply a matter of reversing the process.
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