Why You Shouldn't Use Shared Folders, Shared Clipboard, and Drag’n’Drop

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Users occasionally find the need to upload files to a virtual machine from the host machine (or vice versa), for example, to run a suspicious file or link in an isolated environment. Naturally, the average user will go online to research this issue, where they will find information about such wonderful and convenient tools as shared folders, shared clipboard, and Drag’n’Drop, which come with the VirtualBox Guest Additions.

If you have never used these tools, in brief: a shared folder is an option that creates a folder on the computer that is accessible to both the virtual machine and the host. The shared clipboard allows you to copy and paste files from the host machine to the virtual one and vice versa, while Drag’n’Drop allows you to simply drag files from one system to another.

I am compelled to introduce you to these tools in this course, although for security reasons I do not wish to teach their use and am ready to offer another solution for interaction between the host and guest systems. I hope you will heed my recommendation; believe me, I am well acquainted with the methodology of breaking out of the virtual environment and know how dangerous these tools can be.