HiddenVM
Security and privacy
anti-forensics virtual machine
SHOW HN2020
How HN took it
2 positive, 22 neutral or asking, 1 mixed, 21 critical, out of 46 comments about the project. Thread score -0.37.
Privacy: 0 for, 10 againstIdea: 1 for, 5 againstExecution: 0 for, 3 againstDesign: 0 for, 2 againstDocs: 0 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Interesting project with clear privacy motivation
From 1 comment
> The VM will even connect to full-speed pre-Tor Internet by default, while leaving the Tor connection in Tails undisturbed. This doesn't strike me as a selling point? Surely the…
jstanley on HN
Objections
Deniability is weak against torture or coercion
From 3 comments
Are there any protection mechanism against that? Something like, even if you are being tortured you cannot provide the access to anyone else?
87zuhjkas on HNIn most instances I think torture would yield all of your knowledge including the secondary unlock. Unless you're thinking your attacker would exclude you from torture for…
brianjlogan on HNMy understanding is that people who torture you don't know what you don't know; so they don't know when to stop. As such, they'll keep torturing you way past the point where…
frandroid on HN
Default VM traffic bypassing Tor undermines privacy
From 2 comments
> The VM will even connect to full-speed pre-Tor Internet by default, while leaving the Tor connection in Tails undisturbed. This doesn't strike me as a selling point? Surely the…
jstanley on HN> The VM will even connect to full-speed pre-Tor Internet by default Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
ThePowerOfFuet on HN
Downloading extra software undermines code inspection
From 1 comment
Isn't downloading additional software defeats the purpose of inspecting the code?
a_imho on HN
Random free space on drive may look suspicious at borders
From 2 comments
That's why TrueCrypt, and I think Vera Crypt have support for a volume that can be decripted with two keys - one will yield a decoy volume where its free space is actually the…
joantune on HN> if sufficiently motivated, there's no reason that an authoritarian state wouldn't just keep torturing you anyway. Sure, but it helps to make it look like you're someone not…
bb88 on HN
Requests
Support macOS as a guest OS
From 1 comment
Will be interesting to also have macOS as guest with Vera Crypt & encrypted volume etc.
paulcarroty on HN
Rename project to avoid HVM acronym clash
From 1 comment
Please consider an acronym other than "HVM", which already has meaning in virtualization context (Hardware Virtualized Machine).
kchr on HN
Use stronger hash than md5sum for integrity checks
From 1 comment
It is kind of ridiculous to still use md5sum to check software for integrity.
hleszek on HN
Run from RAM disk
From 1 comment
How about running from RAMdisk? Feels like that would be the safest
haunter on HN
Questions
Whether the VeraCrypt volume is tied to a specific Tails stick
From 2 comments
Hi, very cool project! I'm getting more into security so apologies if this is a stupid question. Is the veracrypt drive, and therefore the HVM, linked to my specific instance of…
smashah on HN> Is the veracrypt drive, and therefore the HVM, linked to my specific instance of tails or can it be accessed by anyone with a tails usb and my veracrypt authentication details?…
aforensics on HN
Whether a Tails USB alone plus VeraCrypt is enough at a border
From 2 comments
> Is the veracrypt drive, and therefore the HVM, linked to my specific instance of tails or can it be accessed by anyone with a tails usb and my veracrypt authentication details?…
aforensics on HNRed flags might not actually matter in many use cases. But where it does, setting up a decoy OS that boots on the computer by default when turned on may be one good strategy. For…
aforensics on HN
Whether VM traffic should go over Tor by default
From 1 comment
> The VM will even connect to full-speed pre-Tor Internet by default, while leaving the Tor connection in Tails undisturbed. This doesn't strike me as a selling point? Surely the…
jstanley on HN
Alternatives named
Tails alone
From 1 comment
If you want to use Tor in another country then come through a border, what's the advantage of HiddenVM over putting Tor on a bootable thumb drive, using it, then throwing away…
ralphc on HN
Whonix
From 1 comment
Well, the idea is that you don't have to be limited by Tor's speed or handicaps like being IP blocked when web browsing, if you don't want that by default. We love Tails' amnesia…
aforensics on HN
VeraCrypt hidden volumes
From 2 comments
I believe Truecrypt supported a feature where different passwords would unlock different partitions in a volume. So someone could ask you to input the password for BadBoy.tc, and…
jmt_ on HNThat's why TrueCrypt, and I think Vera Crypt have support for a volume that can be decripted with two keys - one will yield a decoy volume where its free space is actually the…
joantune on HN