WARNING

DISCLAIMER: This page provides convenience resources. We are NOT responsible for troubleshooting your local hardware.

 

General VM Requirements & Support

System Compatibility

❗IMPORTANT

ARM-based Macs NOT Supported: Per course requirements, ARM-based Macs are not supported. No viable alternative exists.

Supported Systems:

  • Intel-based Macs - Fully supported
  • Intel/AMD-based PCs - Fully supported
  • ARM-based Macs - Not supported (M1, M2, M3, etc.)

NOTE

No Support Roadmap: No plan to support ARM chips in the foreseeable future.

VM Platform Information

VirtualBox Specifications:

  • Production: VMs created using latest VirtualBox version
  • Recommended: Use VirtualBox 7.0.x or latest version
  • Alternative platforms: VMware, Parallels, etc. are use-at-your-own-risk
  • Limited support: Our ability to provide VM support is limited

VM Release Schedule:

  • Timing: VMs released when respective projects open
  • Download: Follow project instructions for VM access

 

General Troubleshooting Steps

Try these solutions before posting questions:

Universal Fixes

  1. Update software - Ensure latest VirtualBox/VMware/platform version
  2. Restart computer - Simple but often effective
  3. Check resources - Verify adequate RAM and storage on host computer
  4. Reimport OVA - Fresh import can resolve corruption issues
  5. Disable 3D acceleration - Turn off hardware acceleration
  6. Enable networking - Verify VM networking enabled (especially Parallels)

VirtualBox-Specific Fixes

  • Blank screen: Resize VM screen via View → Virtual Screen 1 → Resize to native resolution
  • Resolution issues: Update screen resolution within VM/guest settings
  • Display problems: Try View menu → Auto-resize Guest Display

 

Common Issues & Solutions

Display Problems

Q: VirtualBox shows text on boot then goes to black screen

NOTE

First attempt - View Menu fixes:

resize virtual screen to 1920x1080

Steps:

  1. Try View menu → Choose appropriate screen resolution
  2. Auto-resize option → View menu → “Auto-resize Guest Display”

If View menu doesn’t work:

vboxsvga settings

Steps:

  1. Shut down VM completely
  2. Open Display settings in VirtualBox
  3. Change graphics adapter from VMSVGA to VBoxSVGA

This solves black screen problems in most cases.

Q: VirtualBox shows “VBoxClient: Failure Waiting For…” errors

NOTE

Solution: Reduce CPU allocation in VM settings to 1 core.

Installation & Import Errors

Q: “Kernel Driver not installed” errors (Mac)

kernel driver not installed

WARNING

Cause: macOS permissions settings issue.

Solution: Follow guide at https://mkyong.com/mac/virtualbox-kernel-driver-not-installed-rc-1908/

Q: “Error When Importing Project E_INVALIDARG (0x80070057)”

❗IMPORTANT

Common causes & solutions:

Insufficient Storage:

  • Check disk space - Ensure adequate free space
  • File system - Windows requires NTFS for VirtualBox
  • Permissions - Verify storage allocation permissions

Work Laptop Issues:

  • Secured partitions - May prevent VM import
  • Alternative approach - Try different storage location

Additional Help:

Q: “Invalid value ‘WAS’ in AudioAdapter/@driver attribute” (OVA Import)

NOTE

Solution: Upgrade to VirtualBox version 7.X or latest.

Performance Issues

Q: VM freezes or doesn’t start

WARNING

Resource Requirements: VM needs minimum 4GB RAM + 30GB storage dedicated.

Host Requirements:

  • Storage: More than double VM requirements for download/install
  • RAM: Significantly more than VM allocation
  • Reference: Check Technical Requirements

Solutions:

  • Verify resources - Ensure host meets requirements
  • Close applications - Free up system resources
  • Check permissions - Verify storage allocation rights

 

Project-Specific Troubleshooting

Binary Exploitation Project

VM Requirements & Usage

❗IMPORTANT

VM Required: You cannot complete this project without the provided VM - environment is specifically configured.

WARNING

Critical Submission Note: Create .json files in text editor ON THE VM and submit from VM. Do not use LibreOffice/Word.

File Format Requirements:

  • Text editor - Use vim, nano, gedit, etc.
  • Proper JSON - Must be valid JSON format for autograder
  • Word processors - No LibreOffice, Word, etc.

VM Management

Q: Can I use VM from previous semester?

WARNING

NO: Using previous semester VMs results in 100% penalty. Download current semester VM.

Q: Should I update the VM?

Update Policy:

  • No system updates - Do not update the machine
  • Additional packages - Can install editors/packages with apt
  • Resource allocation - Can increase via VirtualBox settings

Performance Solutions

Q: VM is slow or won’t start

Resource Adjustments:

  • Increase RAM - Allocate more memory via VM settings
  • Disable 3D acceleration - Turn off in VM settings
  • SSH alternative - If GUI too slow, use SSH

SSH Setup for Slow GUI:

  1. Change network adapter - Set to Bridged Adapter in VirtualBox
  2. Get IP address - Run ip a command in VM
  3. SSH connection - Connect from host using VM’s IP

Q: VM is bricked/non-functional

NOTE

Solution: Restore VM from original OVA file - reimport completely.

Q: User account lacks sudo privileges

Normal behavior: Project account can run apt and snap with sudo - this is sufficient for project requirements.

Database Security Project

Host Connection (Advanced Users)

WARNING

Unsupported but possible: We won’t provide support, but here’s how to connect from host computer.

VirtualBox Setup:

  1. Stop conflicting services - Stop IIS/Apache on port 80 if running
  2. Find VM IP - Get VM IP address and configure network communication
  3. Start VM - Preferably headless to save resources
  4. SSH tunnel - Run: ssh -p 22 -L 127.0.0.1:80:127.0.0.1:80 -L 127.0.0.1:1433:127.0.0.1:1433 dbsec@localhost
  5. Start container - Run ./StartContainer.sh in terminal

Host File Configuration

WARNING

Advanced users only - Remove entries when finished!

The VM uses: www.gt-cs6035.com (not localhost)

Host file locations:

  • Windows: c:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts (needs admin)
  • Linux: /etc/hosts
  • Mac: /private/etc/hosts

Add this line:

127.0.0.1 www.gt-cs6035.com

Access URL: http://www.gt-cs6035.com

Database Management Tools

For external DB tools (Azure Data Studio, SQL Server Management Studio, DataGrip):

  1. Stop local SQL Server - If running on host
  2. Download tool - Install preferred management tool
  3. Configure connection - Use VM SQL Server via tunnel

  4. Reference: See Background and Setup

API Security Project

Host Connection (Advanced Users)

WARNING

Unsupported but possible: Connect to Swagger instance from host computer.

VirtualBox SSH Setup:

  1. Find VM IP - Configure network for host communication
  2. SSH tunnel - Run: ssh -p 22 -L 8080:127.0.0.1:8080 apisec@localhost
  3. Access URL - Open http://localhost:8080/swagger/index.html on host

 

Quick Reference

Universal Troubleshooting Steps:

  1. Update virtualization software to latest version
  2. Restart computer
  3. Check host system resources
  4. Reimport OVA file
  5. Disable 3D acceleration
  6. Enable VM networking

Display Issues:

  • Try View menu resolution options
  • Change graphics adapter to VBoxSVGA
  • Reduce CPU cores to 1
  • Auto-resize guest display

Import/Installation Issues:

  • Check disk space and permissions
  • Upgrade to VirtualBox 7.X
  • Use NTFS file system (Windows)
  • Review macOS permissions settings

Need More Help?

  • Technical requirements: Technical Requirements
  • General questions: Ed Discussion
  • Hardware concerns: Verify system compatibility first