Sharing of VMs with root user

[Piedpiper]

Is there a way to share the VMs create by a non-root user to be visible to the root user to manage all user VMs on virtualbox 5.0.32,

[Perryg]

Not easily and even when accomplished security is non-existent. VirtualBox is designed to restrict anyone other than the creator by default so as to secure the guest and sets the VBOX_USERS_HOME environment. Altering that and r/w becomes an issue.

[Martin]

Of course nothing keeps the root user from switching to the users context with 'su - <username>' and manage the VMs there.

[Piedpiper]

Thanks, fully understand the associated security risks, but I'm running GNS3, which runs in root and my application runs in the userspace. So might need to move everything to root if sharing not an option.

[Perryg]

I'm running GNS3, which runs in root

Why? Applications should never run in root. Is this the way they intend it to run?

[Piedpiper]

yes, I tried running it in userspace, where it could start the VMs but I run into issues. Their documentation also says that they require root, but this is not for production application, more a lab that I am setting up so should be fine.

[Perryg]

Wow, well someone needs to learn how to program and adapt the software to run properly. Anyway you do this just be sure that the host and guest never have access to LAN/WAN in the real world.