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VirtualBox

Note: You need to download both Gateway and Workstation virtual machine images.


Version: {{{version}}}

Info Download both Gateway and Workstation virtual machine images.
Whonix-Gateway
(850 MB) 		Whonix-Workstation
(1.1 GB) 		Anonymous Download
Possible [1] 		Download Security
without Verification 		Download Security
with Verification
Https long.png
 Download (v3 Onion) Download (v3 Onion) Yes [1] Medium High [2]
Button sig.png OpenPGP Signature

(v3 Onion) ( sha512, sig)

OpenPGP Signature (v3 Onion)

( sha512, sig)

Yes [1] - -
Crypto key.png Verify the images using the Signing Key Yes [1] - -


Verify the Whonix Images

It is important to check the integrity of the downloaded virtual machine images to ensure that neither a man-in-the-middle attack or file corruption occurred (see Download Security).

Ambox warning pn.svg.png Warning: Do not continue if verification fails! This risks using infected or erroneous files! The whole point of verification is to confirm file integrity.

Whonix virtual machine images are cryptographically signed by Whonix developer Patrick Schleizer using OpenPGP. [3]

If you know how to use an OpenPGP key, download the Whonix Signing Key and the Whonix signatures straight away.

Otherwise, use the following instructions:


2.Install Whonix

    • Linux: please press expand on the right side.

Package virtualbox should be installed from Debian backports. [5] [6]

1. On the host.

Open a terminal.

2. Add the current Debian stable backports codename stretch-backports to Debian apt sources.

Note: this applies to Whonix 14.0.0.7.4. Later Whonix versions may use a codename different to stretch. [7]

[select code]
sudo su -c "echo -e 'deb http://http.debian.net/debian stretch-backports main contrib' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/backports.list"
3. Update the package lists.

[select code]
sudo apt-get update

4. Install the selected software.

[select code]
sudo apt-get install virtualbox/stretch-backports linux-headers-$(uname -r)

The procedure is now complete.

5. Undo.

On occasion it is necessary to undo this configuration, for example when upgrading from Debian stretch to buster. [8] To proceed, run.

[select code]
sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/backports.list

3.Import Whonix into VirtualBox

For Whonix VirtualBox import instructions, please press on expand on the right.

Start VirtualBox Open The virtualbox1.png

Click on Filethen choose Import Appliance... Select Import Applience2.png

Navigate and select Whonix image and press next Select whonix image and press next3.png

Do NOT change anything! Just click on Import Press import4.png

Then press Agree Press agree5.png

Wait until Whonix-Gateway.ova has been imported Wait for importing6.png

Repeat the import step also for Whonix-Workstation.ova Do the same for whonix workstation7.png

Now start both Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Workstation Start both of them8.png

Miscellaneous

There are also Video Tutorials.

If you still need help, please check the Support page.

Experimental spectre/meltdown defenses

Experimental spectre/meltdown defenses.

Related to Firmware Security and Updates.

On the host.

1. ibpb-on-vm-entry[9]

[select code]
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Gateway" --ibpb-on-vm-entry on
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Workstation" --ibpb-on-vm-entry on

2. ibpb-on-vm-exit

[select code]
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Gateway" --ibpb-on-vm-exit on
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Workstation" --ibpb-on-vm-exit on

3. l1d-flush-on-vm-enter on [10]

[select code]
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Gateway" --l1d-flush-on-vm-entry on
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Workstation" --l1d-flush-on-vm-entry on

4. l1d-flush-on-sched [11] [12]

[select code]
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Gateway" --l1d-flush-on-sched on
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Workstation" --l1d-flush-on-sched on

5. spec-ctrl [13] [14]

[select code]
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Gateway" --spec-ctrl on
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Workstation" --spec-ctrl on

6. nestedpaging [15]

[select code]
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Gateway" --nestedpaging off
VBoxManage modifyvm "Whonix-Workstation" --nestedpaging off

[16]

4.Start Whonix

Starting Whonix is simple.

Start VirtualBox -> Double click on the Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Workstation.

First time user?

Whonix default password info box The default username is: user
The default password is: changeme

Whonix first time users warning Warning:
  • If you do not know what metadata or a man-in-the-middle attack is.
  • If you think nobody can eavesdrop on your communications because you are using Tor.
  • If you have no idea how Whonix works.
Then read the About, Warning and Do Not pages to decide whether Whonix is the right tool for you based on its limitations.

See Also

  • For more please press on expand on the right.

VirtualBox is a popular virtualizer that can run on top of Windows, Linux and Mac.

A supported platform that can run Whonix. There are also others.

Help Wanted

Footnotes

Please press on expand on the right.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 By using the Tor Browser Bundle (TBB). For an introduction, see Tor Browser. See also Hide Tor and Whonix from your ISP.
  2. ↑ It does not matter if the bulk download is done over an insecure channel if OpenPGP verification is used at the end.
  3. ↑ OpenPGP is a standard for data encryption that provides cryptographic privacy and authentication through the use of keys owned by its users.
  4. ↑ VirtualBox version 5.2.18 or above required since only that version comes with spectre / meltdown defenses. See https://forums.whonix.org/t/whonix-vulerable-due-to-missing-processor-microcode-packages/5739/22.
  5. ↑ This is non-ideal, see next footnote.
  6. ↑ Users should Prefer Packages from Debian Stable Repository, but using backports is better than manual software installation or using third party package managers since this prefers APT. To contain the risk, Non-Qubes-Whonix users might want to consider using Multiple Whonix-Workstations and Qubes-Whonix users might want to consider using Multiple Qubes-Whonix TemplateVMs or Software Installation in a TemplateBasedVM.
  7. ↑ Or alternatively use the .onion mirror.
    [select code]
    sudo su -c "echo -e 'deb tor+http://vwakviie2ienjx6t.onion/debian stretch-backports main contrib' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/backports.list"
  8. ↑ Most often this step applies before attempting major Whonix upgrades; upgrade instructions are also made available at that time (see stay tuned).
  9. ↑

    --ibpb-on-vm-[enter|exit] on|off: Enables flushing of the indirect branch prediction buffers on every VM enter or exit respectively. This could be enabled by users overly worried about possible spectre attacks by the VM. Please note that these options may have sever impact on performance.
    https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08.html

    There is a mistake in VirtualBox manual saying enter which does not work. It's entry.

  10. ↑ https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08.html

    --l1d-flush-on-vm-enter on|off: Enables flushing of the level 1 data cache on VM enter. See Section 13.4.1, “CVE-2018-3646”.

  11. ↑

    --l1d-flush-on-sched on|off: Enables flushing of the level 1 data cache on scheduling EMT for guest execution. See Section 13.4.1, “CVE-2018-3646”.
    https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08.html

  12. ↑ https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch13.html#sec-rec-cve-2018-3646

    For users not concerned by this security issue, the default mitigation can be disabled using

    [select code]
    VBoxManage modifyvm name --l1d-flush-on-sched off

    Since we want to enable the security feature we set --l1d-flush-on-sched on.

  13. ↑

    --spec-ctrl on|off: This setting enables/disables exposing speculation control interfaces to the guest, provided they are available on the host. Depending on the host CPU and workload, enabling speculation control may significantly reduce performance.
    https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08.html

  14. ↑ According to this VirtualBox ticket --spec-ctrl should be set to on.
  15. ↑

    --nestedpaging on|off: If hardware virtualization is enabled, this additional setting enables or disables the use of the nested paging feature in the processor of your host system; see Section 10.7, “Nested paging and VPIDs” and Section 13.4.1, “CVE-2018-3646”.

  16. ↑ Check any difference using spectre-meltdown-checker.
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