How to make a VM look Real | How to make a stealthy Virtual Machine Tutorial and Disguise Your VM from Scammers

How to Stealthily Disguise Your Virtual Machine from Scammers

In recent times, online scammers have become increasingly sophisticated in detecting virtual machines (VMs) used by security researchers and scam baiters.  In this guide, we will walk you through a step-by-step process to disguise your Windows 10 VM, making it appear like a real physical machine.

Why Disguise Your Virtual Machine?

Scammers often check for indicators of a virtual environment to evade investigations. Some of the common giveaways include:

• Device descriptions that mention VMware or VirtualBox
• Default registry values associated with VMs
• BIOS information showing VMware or other virtualization software
• Installed VMware Tools appearing in the software list

By modifying these elements, you can trick scammers into believing they are interacting with a genuine device, allowing you to gather evidence or prevent attacks.

Step 1: Modify Device Descriptions in the Windows Registry

One of the easiest ways scammers identify a VM is by checking device descriptions. Follow these steps to modify your registry:

1. Open Registry Editor:
   • Press Windows + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to the following registry path:
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum
3. Change Permissions:
   • Right-click on Enum, select Permissions.
   • Click Advanced, change the owner to your username.
   • Check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects, then apply changes.
4. Modify Key Entries:
   • Locate entries under SCSI, DISK, DISPLAY, and MOUSE.
   • Look for values like VMware, Virtual, or QEMU.
   • Replace them with a realistic value (e.g., Samsung SSD, NVIDIA GTX 1080, Microsoft Mouse).

Step 2: Hide VMware Tools from Installed Programs

Many scammers check installed programs for VMware Tools, which confirms that they are dealing with a virtual machine.

1. Open Run and type appwiz.cpl, then press Enter.
2. Find VMware Tools in the list.
3. Modify the Registry to Disguise It:
   • Open regedit and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
   • Locate the VMware Tools entry.
   • Change the DisplayName to something generic like Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable.
   • Save changes and exit.

Step 3: Change BIOS Information to Match Your Host Machine

VMs use a default BIOS identifier that is easy to detect. To make your VM look more legitimate:

1. Shut down your VM.
2. Locate the VMX File:
   • Find your .vmx file (usually in the VM’s installation directory).
3. Edit the File Using Notepad:
   • Add the following line:

     smbios.reflectHost = "TRUE"

   • This command makes the VM inherit the BIOS details from your actual machine.
4. Save the file and restart your VM.

Step 4: Remove Virtual Machine Identifiers from System Information

Scammers often use msinfo32 or dxdiag to check for VM-related entries. To prevent detection:

1. Open Run (Windows + R), type msinfo32, and press Enter.
2. Check for Entries Like ‘System Manufacturer: VMware’.
3. Modify the Registry to Change System Manufacturer:
   • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System.
   • Modify the SystemManufacturer and SystemProductName values to match your host machine.
   • Example:

     SystemManufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
     SystemProductName: Gigabyte B450M DS3H

   • Save and exit.

Step 5: Disable VMware Tray Icon and Background Services

To further hide your VM from detection:

1. Disable VMware Tools Icon:
   • Right-click the system tray icon and choose Exit.
2. Stop VMware Services:
   • Open Run (Windows + R), type services.msc, and press Enter.
   • Find VMware Tools and set its startup type to Manual.

Final Checks

To ensure your VM is fully disguised:

• Open Device Manager (Windows + X > Device Manager)
• Check if the disk, display, and mouse names have changed.
• Run dxdiag and msinfo32 to verify the manufacturer is no longer listed as VMware.
• Open appwiz.cpl and confirm VMware Tools no longer appears.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively disguise your Windows 10 virtual machine, making it difficult for scammers to detect. This guide is useful for cybersecurity researchers, scam baiters, and anyone looking to protect themselves from fraudulent schemes. Stay safe, and always be cautious when dealing with unknown callers or suspicious tech support claims.

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