# aforensics/HiddenVM

HiddenVM — Use any desktop OS without leaving a trace.

Repository: https://github.com/aforensics/HiddenVM
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/hiddenvm
Language: Shell
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: tails, virtualbox, tor, deniability, privacy, veracrypt, virtualization, antiforensics, anti-forensics, debian, linux, snowden, opsec, vm
Last push: 2024-07-18T21:46:29+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 23/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2438, "days_push": 776, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2677, forks 135 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:09.866389+00:00)

## What it is
HiddenVM is a free, open-source Linux application that lets you run Oracle VirtualBox on the Tails operating system, so almost any desktop OS can run as a VM inside Tails' anti-forensic environment. It stores VMs in encrypted VeraCrypt volumes to provide plausible deniability, leaving no trace on the host.

## Use cases
- run a full desktop OS inside Tails without leaving a trace
- hide virtual machines from border agents or forensic inspection
- use Windows or macOS apps inside an anti-forensic Tails environment
- get full-speed pre-Tor internet in a VM while keeping Tails' Tor connection intact
- carry a deniable encrypted computing environment on a laptop
- set up VirtualBox on Tails with one click

## When to choose
- you already use Tails and need to run other operating systems or applications inside it
- you need plausible deniability and anti-forensic storage for your VMs
- you want a one-click, open-source way to run VirtualBox on Tails
- you need a VM with direct (non-Tor) internet while Tails' Tor remains untouched

## When to avoid
- you need a general-purpose virtualization tool on a regular Linux, Windows, or macOS host
- you want a lightweight VM solution without the Tails dependency
- you need guaranteed compatibility immediately after a Tails update before HiddenVM catches up
- you don't need anti-forensic deniability and just want a normal VM manager

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: privacy, security
- domain: privacy, security, operating-systems, self-hosted
- platform: cross-platform
- tags: tails, virtualbox, tor, anti-forensics, deniability, opsec, veracrypt, shell, virtualization, linux

## Member repositories
- aforensics/HiddenVM (main) score 23

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:09.866389+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:17:59.718026+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/aforensics/HiddenVM (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:09.866389+00:00, sha 362c7dc95ef2)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.