<h1>Sensitive use VMs Setup (Whonix VMs in a Veracrypt Hidden Volume) </h1>
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<p>In this tutorial we're going to cover how to setup Whonix VMs for Sensitive use. This means that our <ahref="../opsec4levels/index.html">OPSEC requirement</a> is that <b>we need to be able to deny the existance of the Sensitive Whonix VM if the adversary ever gets access to our laptop.</b></p>
<p>Now the advantage of this setup, is that it is not going to actually destroy the computer, nor any sensitive data, you can keep using it even after triggering an emergency shutdown. </p>
<p><u>CONTEXT WARNING:</u> this setup is only suitable <b>if you are not going to be thrown in jail for just using Veracrypt.</b>, and if an adversary were to bust down your front door, <b>you need to have at least 5 seconds before he can see your laptop screen.</b></p>
<p>First of all as you have seen, the requirement is that we do this setup from the Host OS, in <ahref="../livemode/index.html">live mode</a>. That is because we want to make sure that there is no forensic evidence to be saved on the system drive as we have explained <ahref="../livemode/index.html">previously.</a></p>
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<p>While in Live mode we can't write anything new on the system disk (such as the system logs, kernel logs, non-standard logs) <b>which can all be potential forensic evidence that the hidden volume exists</b>. Instead, everything is written into RAM, and we can easily erase all of those contents with a simple reboot. While in live mode however, we can write to non-system drives, which is where we will setup a big enough veracrypt volume to store the Whonix VMs that we will use for long-term sensitive use.</p>
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<h2><b>How to setup the VMs inside the Hidden Volume</b></h2></br></br>
<p>So before we start, make sure you reboot the Host OS to go into live mode:</p>
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<p>Then, once in live mode we're going to setup our veracrypt volumes on our 500Gb harddrive:</p>
<p>Here we're using a non-system drive, as we want to be able to store our veracrypt hidden volume contents in a persistent manner, accross reboots. (if we were to have the veracrypt volume on the system drive, it would be wiped off upon rebooting since the Host OS is in live mode.)</p>
<p>And in our veracrypt outer (decoy) volume, we're going to setup the veracrypt inner (hidden) volume, and set it to be 250Gb big:</p>
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<p>Now that the vercarypt volume has been setup, to highlight the mechanism, for the same harddrive, you have 2 passwords. Password A opens up the decoy volume, and Password B (which must remains secret, only to be known by you) opens up the hidden volume:</p>
<p>and from here we create <b>script.sh</b> that we put inside the veracrypt hidden volume, we will use it to automatically either import or remove both VMs into virt-manager depending on wether they are already imported or not.</p>
<pre><codeclass="nim">
[ nowhere ] [ /dev/pts/1 ] [/mnt/veracrypt1]
→ vim script.sh
[ nowhere ] [ /dev/pts/0 ] [~]
→ cat /mnt/veracrypt1/script.sh
#!/bin/bash
if [ $(virsh -c qemu:///system list --all | grep Whonix | wc -l) -ne 0 ];
<h2><b>Setting up the Decoy volume</b></h2></br></br>
<p>Now that we have setup the hidden volume, let's close it so that we can setup the decoy volume (dont forget to exit the drive from the commandline, otherwise veracrypt will complain that the drive is busy):</p>
<pre><codeclass="nim">
[ nowhere ] [ /dev/pts/1 ] [/mnt/veracrypt1]
→ cd ..
[ nowhere ] [ /dev/pts/1 ] [/mnt]
→
</pre></code>
<p>Now first dismount the hidden volume:</p>
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<p>And then mount the decoy volume:</p>
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<p>In the decoy volume, we want content that makes sense to be kept hidden in an encrypted volume while still not being considered as sensitive (meaning nothing that can get you into trouble like adult content, or movies that you pirated):</p>
<p>So in this example we're going to pretend we have pirated some movies and got some adult content, that way we have an excuse as to why we have an encrypted veracrypt volume if ever forced by an adversary. We then create the script.sh which will basically be used to kill the media player window:</p>
<pre><codeclass="nim">
[ nowhere ] [ /dev/pts/1 ] [/mnt/veracrypt1]
→ vim script.sh
[ nowhere ] [ /dev/pts/1 ] [/mnt/veracrypt1]
→ chmod +x script.sh
[ nowhere ] [ /dev/pts/1 ] [/mnt/veracrypt1]
→ cat script.sh
#!/bin/bash
kill -9 $(pidof vlc)
</pre></code>
<p>If ever asked to by an adversary, we'll basically pretend that this script is there to quickly kill the media player window in case if someone were to enter the room while you were watching that not-sensitive-but-private content.</p>
<!--<p>Now that we're done setting up both the hidden and the decoy volumes, we're going to setup the script that will launch either of the 2 script.sh scripts we just wrote, on top of also erasing all potential proof that the sensitive VM exists (meaning we erase all logs, all kernel logs, we fill the ram with random content 3 times, and we erase the command history): </p>
<p>Now from there (after a reboot) you wont require sudo passwords to use veracrypt anymore. Next we need to be able to remove all logs without being the root user:</p>
<p>Now that we're setup, we need to be able to run that script using a shortcut to be ran from our desktop environment, I am currently using Cinnamon, therefore to create a shortcut for cinnamon you do as follows:</p>
<p>If you are focused in a QEMU VM, you need to do <b>"Ctrl+Alt"</b> (to focus out of the QEMU VM), and then <b>"SUPER+R"</b> to run the wipe.sh script from the Host OS.</p>-->
<p>Now we're setting up the shortcut <b>"Super+V"</b> to run the <b>/mnt/veracrypt1/script.sh</b> script just so it is quicker to setup the whonix VMs when inside the veracrypt hidden volume.</p>
<p> Now in order to shut down the Host OS, as we have explained <ahref="../livemode/index.html">previously</a>, we need to have the emergency shutdown bashscript script:</p>
<pre><codeclass="nim">
nihilist@mainpc:~$ su -
Password:
root@mainpc:~# visudo
[...]
nihilist ALL=NOPASSWD:/sbin/shutdown
[...]
nihilist@mainpc:~$ vim shutdown.sh
nihilist@mainpc:~$ cat shutdown.sh
#!/bin/bash
/sbin/shutdown -h now
nihilist@mainpc:~$ chmod +x shutdown.sh
</pre></code>
<p>However we're going to edit it a bit to run the script.sh, along with closing down the veracrypt volumes before shutting down the Host OS, so we need to edit the shutdown.sh script as follows:</p>
<pre><codeclass="nim">
nihilist@mainpc:~$ cat shutdown.sh
#!/bin/bash
# run script.sh
/mnt/veracrypt1/script.sh
# unmount veracrypt volumes
/usr/bin/veracrypt -d -f
# kill veracrypt after unmounting
kill $(pidof veracrypt)
# shutdown the host OS
/sbin/shutdown -h now
</pre></code>
<p>Then, we need to make sure that the shutdown.sh script can be ran with the <b>"Super+R"</b> shortcut:</p>
<p>Then suddenly someone busts your front door, and you quickly press <b>"Super+R"</b> the VLC window immediately closes, followed by the closure of the veracrypt volume, and in a few seconds you have the Host OS shutting down. And as the Host OS shuts down, all the RAM contents are erased (even though there was nothing sensitive in it this time).</p>
<p>And that's it ! if the adversary didnt get to your desk by the time you pressed the shortcut, he didnt get to see the content you were playing on your monitor. </p>
<h2><b>Hidden Volume Scenario (using the sensitive VM)</b></h2>
<p>And after a while of doing some actual sensitive stuff on the whonix VM you hear your front door being busted down, so you quickly hit <b>"Ctrl+Alt"</b> to focus out of the VM, and then you hit <b>"Super+R"</b> to trigger the emergency shutdown:</p>
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<p>Here it also only takes approximately 4 seconds after pressing <b>"Super+R"</b> to have the VMs removed, the veracrypt volume closed, and your Host OS shutdown, erasing all the forensic evidence regarding the existence of the veracrypt hidden volume and the Sensitive Whonix VM that it contains.</p>
<p>And that's it ! You now have a Sensitive VM ready to be used, and you have implemented the necessary measures to protect the deniability of it's existance, from an adversary.</p>
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<h2><b>In what context is there Deniability ?</b></h2>
<p>With this setup, you have deniability the moment that the Host OS finishes shutting down, regarding the existance of the veracrypt hidden volume, and the whonix sensitive VMs that are in it. <b>Meaning that it is impossible for an adversary that seizes your computer to prove the existance of the Whonix Sensitive VMs after the Host OS finished shutting down.</b></p>
<p>Of course, if you are ever forced to, <b>ONLY give your decoy password to the adversary.</b> The existance of the hidden volume, and of the secret password thats used to reveal it must remain a secret at all costs, it must remain known only by you.</p>
<p>If you are ever dragged into court, <b>the judge will appreciate much more if you actually hand over your laptop, and show that you are willing to cooperate with the authorities by providing your password to unlock it</b>, rather than starting to pretend you forgot your password (which can end badly like in <ahref="https://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2018/07/23/florida-man-jailed-allegedly-forgetting-password-on-cell-phones/">this court case</a>, where the defendant was found to be in contempt of court, and thrown in jail for 6 months for it). </p>
<p>If ever asked by the authorities on why you used veracrypt in your laptop, you can simply claim that it was to put your stash of adult content in it. Nothing incriminating about it, and it is plausible given that you dont want that laying around on your desktop, due to being of a private matter.</p>
Until there is Nothing left.</p></br></br><p>Creative Commons Zero: <ahref="../../../../opsec/runtheblog/index.html">No Rights Reserved</a></br><imgsrc="\CC0.png">
