RE: VMWare and Security

[Michael Rice <michael () riceclan org>]

On Mon, 2005-04-25 at 12:12 +0200, P.B. Wagenaar wrote:
> As far as I know, ESX uses it's own OS and does not run on top of Windows
> i.e. (GSX is the version that runs on a host layer).

ESX's host OS is Linux, based on RedHat 7.2 (2.4.9 kernel series) but
with many changes from the stock 7.2 (including the kernel which is
patched with their code for the hardware virtualization).

It is not running any unused services (though several are installed that
one could turn on -- e.g. nfs).  Also ESX uses iptables to build virtual
VLANs for guest OSes.  

You can put your own software on the host if you choose.  With some care
you could probably also construct iptables rules to protect the host OS,
though you would need to cooperate with the administration tools
(exercise left for the reader).


-- 
Michael Rice <michael () riceclan org>