Can a fresh install of windows on virtualbox be infected?

signofzeta

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Here's the deal. I want to try to get this game that only happens to run on XP to work on my windows 8 machine by running it on xp via virtual box.

The problem is that the only windows XP machine I have, with a preinstalled windows xp died (motherboard failed), and I don't have a legit copy of windows xp,and finding a legit copy is a pain, so the only alternative is to do the one month trial and reset everything, and I don't want to have to install the antivirus and all that stuff over and over.

I hear of viruses spreading from guest to host, but let's say I just installed xp on virtualbox, and I leave it running, and do nothing. No antivirus is installed, and the host and guest is somehow connected. Will a virus eventually get into the virtual machine, and make its way into the host machine, without me opening any programs?

To make this question simpler, let's say you bought a new PC, installed a windows OS, and have it connected to the internet. No firewall and no antivirus is installed. The router is secure though. Will that PC be infected just because it is on?

What are the odds of an idle PC that is on for 24 hours to be infected if it does not have antivirus or firewall?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS N56JR
    Browser
    Firefox
As long as the VM doesn't have an Internet connection, and the host OS is free of infection, it would be very difficult for something to make its way into XP.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
I have set it so that a folder in the virtual machine is the same folder as in the host machine. I also set it so that the virtual machine's network cable is unplugged, but the host machine's network cable is plugged in. With this setup, a virus can only get into the host machine, and not into the virtual machine without going through the host machine first right?

As long as I set it so that the virtual pc network cable is unplugged, even though the host pc and virtual pc is connected with each other somehow?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS N56JR
    Browser
    Firefox
You don't really need anti-virus in a virtual box/machine
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 (Will go to 10)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion 15-n090sa
    CPU
    AMD A8-4555M APU
    Motherboard
    Hewlett Packard 216B
    Memory
    8Gb (2x4Gb) DDR3 @ 1366Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon HD 7600G 768Mb @ 668Mhz
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" Smart Touch Display
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 pixels
    Hard Drives
    1TB 2.5" HDD
    PSU
    HP Battery..
    Case
    HP Pavilion 15, 15" Silver Shell
    Cooling
    2 Noisy Fans
    Keyboard
    GB Keyboard
    Mouse
    Dual Button Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1Mbps Down 100Kbps Up
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows FireWall

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP COMPAQ Presario CQ57
    CPU
    AMD E- 300 APU with Radion HD Graphics 1.30GHz
    Motherboard
    inbuilt
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI
    Sound Card
    High Definition Audio on-board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    notebook
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate ST9500325AS
    Google drive 15GB
    Skydrive 25GB
    BT Cloud
    PSU
    external 20v
    Case
    Laptop
    Cooling
    pretty good
    Keyboard
    inbuilt
    Mouse
    touchpad
    Internet Speed
    BT Infinity Unlimited - 80 up 20 down =70/16 really
    Browser
    Chrome Canary usually
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    no Start menu modifications
    Upgraded with no issues to 8.0 and to 8.1
Why don't you just buy an actually Windows XP disk, there about £22 ($35) on amazon.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 (Will go to 10)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion 15-n090sa
    CPU
    AMD A8-4555M APU
    Motherboard
    Hewlett Packard 216B
    Memory
    8Gb (2x4Gb) DDR3 @ 1366Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon HD 7600G 768Mb @ 668Mhz
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" Smart Touch Display
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 pixels
    Hard Drives
    1TB 2.5" HDD
    PSU
    HP Battery..
    Case
    HP Pavilion 15, 15" Silver Shell
    Cooling
    2 Noisy Fans
    Keyboard
    GB Keyboard
    Mouse
    Dual Button Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1Mbps Down 100Kbps Up
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows FireWall
I don't have a legit copy of windows xp,and finding a legit copy is a pain, so the only alternative is to do the one month trial and reset everything
The Windows XP Mode is a VM (originally for Virtual PC) of Windows XP Professional (SP3). You can retrieve it manually if you're up for it and use it in VirtualBox.

It's free, no time limit, and directly from Microsoft (can't be safer than that) : Download Windows XP Mode from Official Microsoft Download Center

Here are more instructions : Import Windows XP Mode into VirtualBox

You can also do the same with VMWare Player : Run XP Mode on Windows 7 Machines Using VMware

I hear of viruses spreading from guest to host, but let's say I just installed xp on virtualbox, and I leave it running, and do nothing.
It IS always possible to get a malware that can bypass the guest. But in practice, it's very difficult. At worst in most cases, malware will stay dormant if it detects it's running in a VM, so no real danger.
If you don't launch install/launch applications from the guest... Then well, nothing malicious will come from it.

No firewall and no antivirus is installed. The router is secure though. Will that PC be infected just because it is on?
No it won't be. The router should block incoming connections by default (check its configuration to be sure though), you'll be as safe as any other modern Windows setup with the software Firewall active. I'd still recommend to have an AV in real-time protection on the Host though (The built-in Windows Defender should be fine, it's very lightweight), but no need for one on the guest.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 (x64)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
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