corruption?

[RandomComputer]

Hi just wondering, I installed a VM today.
Just wondering if it will affect your own machine in anyway?

Also if you like download bad programs to infect it, will your internet provider stop you from using the internet again? Because I know the internet connection I use for my VM and my own computer is the same internet connection. If I do something bad on my VM will this cause any corruption to my internet?

Thank you everyone who have helped me in the past?

[MikeSwim07]

I hope not!

[RandomComputer]

oKAY.

I hope not too...

[Bv202]

How would your ISP be able to know you're downloading bad files?
Also, they'll only do something when you spread the malware, not by downloading it

[ndmmxiaomayi]

Configure your router properly so that it won't be spamming. And get a good firewall on-board if you are going to install spamming malware.

Just wondering if it will affect your own machine in anyway?

Elaborate more?

If I do something bad on my VM will this cause any corruption to my internet?

Breaking your VM internet connections will not break your main machine connections. The reverse is not true though.

[RandomComputer]

Hi guys.

I just came back from a long trip, it was shorter the expected though. I need to get working on my Practice logs soon.

Back to the questions you asked.

well, just wondering because the virtual machine is still a file, and within the file there are things going on, if you infect it wouldn't that affect your own machine, I don't understand that part how it works.

Over the weeks, I have been studying, not exactly studying just looking around. What if you have a like a rootkit, as I know it is very dangerous from what i read from wikipedia.

It uses the internet connection path thing. Will that cause anything bad to your own internet connection?

[Nick-YF19]

The main thing to get you into trouble is having a spam trojan start spewing out spam from your VM. That's get the ISP's attention after awhile and get your public IP on many blacklists. Maybe even get your net access turned off if it's bad enough. That's why you want a good software firewall on the host machine so you can block this. Outpost or Sunbelt Kerio firewall can do this if you use the advanced filtering.


A virtual machine is just a program on the computer, but it creates an environment that makes the virtual installation thing it's a real one. It is separate but it is possible that stuff from the VM could get out. Usually, this would be if you enable sharing between the host and virtual machine. Also, make sure all other computers on your network have good firewalls in case you get something that scans looking for other vulnerable computers. Since your VM is behind your router, it won't help. That is yet another reason to have a good software firewall on your host to control what the infected VM can spit out. for the most part, using a VM is safe, you just have to be mindful, prepared and knowledgeable.

Going into the exact details of how a virtual machine separates itself from your main computer is beyond wht I can say here, but it works. Remember, using VM for malware research was not the original purpose of them. Usually it was for testing different builds of an OS or a different OS. You can install other OS's like Linux, Unix, etc in a VM. In fact, you can use a VM to run Windows on another OS. I run Windows XP and Vista on my Mac with VMWare Fusion. So, virtualization works. For more specifics you can start with this Google search.