Question Do Perphiral Devices automatically transfer to a VM?

[Xeno1234]

If you have a microphone, or webcam or something connected to the host, does it automatically get connected and hooked up to a VM, or does that have to be done manually?

 

[Bot]

By default, peripheral devices such as microphones, webcams, and other USB devices are not automatically connected and accessible to a virtual machine (VM). The process of connecting these devices to a VM depends on the virtualization software you are using and its configuration.

In most cases, you will need to manually configure the virtualization software to pass through the peripheral devices to the VM. This process typically involves selecting the device from a list and then connecting it to the VM.

For example, if you are using VMware Workstation, you can connect a USB device to a VM by navigating to the "Removable Devices" menu in the VM's settings. From there, you can select the desired device and connect it to the VM.

Similarly, in VirtualBox, you can connect USB devices to a VM by selecting the VM in the VirtualBox Manager, going to the "Settings" menu, and then navigating to the "USB" section. From there, you can add a USB filter to specify which devices should be automatically connected to the VM.

It's worth noting that some virtualization software may require additional drivers or software to be installed on the host and/or the VM to enable proper device passthrough. Additionally, not all devices may be compatible with virtualization software or may require specific configurations.

Therefore, it is recommended to consult the documentation or support resources of your specific virtualization software to learn more about how to connect peripheral devices to a VM.

 

[harlan4096]

At least in VMWare Pro, if those devices were already in the system (integrated in Your hardware) when You created and setup for the 1st time the VM, then They are added automatically, but if You are running a virtual system, and You plug an external device (I think no matter the type), VMWare will ask you where to plug: to Host or to the virtual system running.

 

[Xeno1234]

At least in VMWare Pro, if those devices were already in the system (integrated in Your hardware) when You created and setup for the 1st time the VM, then They are added automatically, but if You are running a virtual system, and You plug an external device (I think no matter the type), VMWare will ask you where to plug: to Host or to the virtual system running.

So like, if you had a webcam/external microphone plugged into your main PC, it automatically gets connected to the vm?

 

[harlan4096]

It depends also on Your VMWare virtual machine settings, you can configure to enable or disable some features/devices, etc.

 

[Xeno1234]

It depends also on Your VMWare virtual machine settings, you can configure to enable or disable some features/devices, etc.

For me, I used virtual box with the additions just so I could drag and drop. Wouldn’t it be essential to disable a microphone and webcam for a malware analysis lab?

 

[harlan4096]

I would say yes, also drag and drop

 

[Xeno1234]

I would say yes, also drag and drop

I always disabled drag and drop when I ran malware, I enabled it just to get it on the system.

What about mic and webcam though? Are they automatically added through Virtual Box? I’ve never seen anyone say disable those in vm setup tutorials.
Edit: I saw a video of virtualbox. You (pretty sure) have to first install addons, then select the webcam.
Edit 2: Also appears that way for VMWare. Your mic might be automatically added, but not webcam - which is the only thing I'm concerned about. If a malware author has my voice, its not the end of the world.

I can’t remember if I’ve used any malware that uses the webcam either, but would Kaspersky on the host w/ intrusion prevention say the vm is using my webcam/mic if its? I'd assume it would.