Purpose and usage of visible_ip?

User Support General
1

Hi,

The man page of qvm-prefs says:

       This   list   is   non-exhaustive.   For   authoritative  listing,  see
       --help-properties and documentation of the source code.

Neither --help-properties, nor the dev doc explain the purpose and possible usage of visible_* network properties.

Where can I find info about that?

2

Strange coincidence… I was wondering the same last week… and found this on the same doc page that you linked:

set_mapped_ip_info_for_vm(*vm* )

Set configuration to possibly hide real IP from the VM. This needs to be done before executing ‘script’ (/etc/xen/scripts/vif-route-qubes) in network providing VM

[source]

1 Like
3

@barto

Thanks for the feedback.
I wonder what is the assumed goal of hiding real IP address from the VM.

4

This way you can have several VMs that think they have the same IP (for example generic 192.168.1.1), but networking still works without conflicts.

5

@marmarek

Is it just for conflict prevention? Any other supposed usage?

Just trying to figure possibilities.

6

Also allows you to hide true internal IP in case of compromise.

I never presume to speak for the Qubes team.
When I comment in the Forum I speak for myself.

7

@unman

Also allows you to hide true internal IP in case of compromise.

Yeah, I thought about it already, but in that case wouldn’t it make sense that all VMs hide it by default?