# Security guide

## Potentially insecure operations

The following features of VirtualBox can present security problems:

- Enabling 3D graphics via the Guest Additions exposes the host to additional security risks; see .

- When teleporting a machine, the data stream through which the machine's memory contents are transferred from one host to another is not encrypted. A third party with access to the network through which the data is transferred could therefore intercept that data.

- When using the VirtualBox web service to control a VirtualBox host remotely, connections to the web service (through which the API calls are transferred via SOAP XML) are not encrypted, but use plain HTTP. This is a potential security risk! For details about the web service, please see .

- All traffic sent over an UDP Tunnel network attachment is not encrypted. You can either encrypt it on the host network level (with IPsec), or use encrypted protocols in the guest network (such as SSH). The security properties are similar to bridged Ethernet.

## Authentication

The following components of VirtualBox can use passwords for authentication:

- When using the VirtualBox extension pack provided by Oracle for VRDP remote desktop support, you can optionally use various methods to configure RDP authentication. The "null" method is very insecure and should be avoided in a public network. See for details.

- When using teleporting, passwords can optionally be used to protect a machine waiting to be teleported from unauthorized access. Note however that these passwords are stored unencrypted in the machine configuration XML and therefore potentially readable on the host. See and .

- When using remote iSCSI storage and the storage server requires authentication, a password can optionally be supplied with the `VBoxManage storageattach` command. Note however that this is stored unencrypted in the machine configuration and is therefore potentially readable on the host. See and .

- When using the VirtualBox web service to control a VirtualBox host remotely, connections to the web service are authenticated in various ways. This is described in detail in the VirtualBox Software Development Kit (SDK) reference; please see .

## Encryption

The following components of VirtualBox use encryption to protect sensitive data:

- When using the VirtualBox extension pack provided by Oracle for VRDP remote desktop support, RDP data can optionally be encrypted. See for details. Only the Enhanced RDP Security method (RDP5.2) with TLS protocol provides a secure connection. Standard RDP Security (RDP4 and RDP5.1) is vulnerable to a man-in-the-middle attack.