VirtualBox

VirtualBox Deployment

VirtualBox is the quickest way to get an ARROW appliance running on your own workstation. ARROW ships an OVA (Open Virtualization Appliance), so importing it is a single step and you can be logged in within a few minutes.

Import the OVA

From the GUI, open VirtualBox Manager, go to File > Import Appliance (or press Ctrl+I), select the .ova from your extracted ARROW build ZIP, adjust CPU and RAM if you like, and click Import.

Or do it from the command line:

VBoxManage import kali-arrow-client.ova \
  --vsys 0 \
  --vmname "kali-arrow-client" \
  --cpus 4 \
  --memory 16384

Adjust VM Settings

Before you start the VM, give it enough resources and confirm it is set to boot UEFI. Aim for 4 processors (2 at a minimum), 16 GB of memory (8 GB minimum), and 128 MB of video memory, with the graphics controller on VMSVGA and the network on either Bridged or NAT. EFI must be enabled, or the VM will not boot.

From the GUI, select the VM, click Settings, and work through the tabs: System > Processor to 4 CPUs, System > Motherboard to 16384 MB with EFI enabled, Display to 128 MB of video memory, and Network > Adapter 1 to your chosen mode.

Or set it all at once from the CLI:

VBoxManage modifyvm "kali-arrow-client" \
  --cpus 4 \
  --memory 16384 \
  --vram 128 \
  --firmware efi \
  --graphicscontroller vmsvga \
  --nic1 bridged \
  --bridgeadapter1 "eth0"

Start the VM

From the GUI, select the VM, click Start, and log in with the credentials from the ARROW Portal. To run it without a window and connect over SSH once it has booted:

VBoxManage startvm "kali-arrow-client" --type headless
ssh arrow@<vm_ip>

Networking

The choice comes down to whether you want the VM on your network or walled off from it.

NAT (the default) gives the VM internet access but hides it from your local network, which is the safer default for a pentest appliance. Because it is isolated, reaching it over SSH means forwarding a port:

VBoxManage modifyvm "kali-arrow-client" \
  --natpf1 "ssh,tcp,,2222,,22"

ssh -p 2222 [email protected]

Bridged puts the VM directly on your network with its own IP, which is simpler to reach but exposes it alongside your other hosts. To use it, open Settings > Network > Adapter 1, set Attached to: Bridged Adapter, and pick your host interface.

Troubleshooting

The OVA import fails. Make sure you are on VirtualBox 6.1 or newer, and try disabling the USB controller in the import settings.

The VM boots to a UEFI shell. EFI is not enabled. Turn it on under Settings > System > Motherboard > Enable EFI.

No network after import. Confirm the adapter is enabled and attached to the mode you intended.

Graphics are slow. Set the graphics controller to VMSVGA and video memory to 128 MB.

“Kernel driver not installed”. On a Linux host, rebuild the VirtualBox kernel modules with sudo /sbin/vboxconfig.

The password does not work. Credentials are generated at build time. Retrieve them from the ARROW Portal on your device’s details page.