- Engagement Brief
- Objective & Scope
- Network Architecture
- Lab Specs
- Build Log
- Verification Tests
- Troubleshooting Journal
- Key Takeaways
- Arsenal
- Creator
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Week | 01 |
| Task Code | WK1-PM1 |
| Project | Isolated Cybersecurity Lab Setup |
| Environment | VirtualBox 7.2 + Kali Linux 2026.2 |
This isn't just a "VM installed" screenshot dump, it's a documented build of a sandboxed environment: a private network where an attacker machine (Kali) can be safely used to practice reconnaissance, scanning and exploitation techniques without ever touching the outside world unintentionally.
The lab was purpose-built to:
- Simulate a real attacker-in-isolation setup
- Stay fully self-contained on a private
10.0.0.0/24subnet - Leave room to slot in future target machines without reconfiguration
Ethics Notice: This lab is strictly for authorized, personal and educational use. No tools here were used against systems I don't own or have permission to test.
graph TD
A[Host Machine<br/>Windows 11] --> B[VirtualBox Hypervisor v7.2]
B --> C[NAT Network: NatNetwork<br/>10.0.0.0/24]
C --> D[Kali Linux 2026.2<br/>10.0.0.2/24 - Attacker]
C -.future.-> E[Target VM Slot<br/>10.0.0.3 - 99]
D --> F[Internet via NAT<br/>DNS: 8.8.8.8]
style D fill:#557C94,stroke:#333,color:#fff
style C fill:#111,stroke:#f00,color:#fff
Any future VM can be added into the same 10.0.0.0/24 range without touching this base configuration.
| Layer | Detail |
|---|---|
| Host OS | Windows 11 |
| Hypervisor | VirtualBox 7.2 |
| Guest OS | Kali Linux 2026.2 |
| Allocated RAM | 4096 MB |
| Network Mode | NAT Network (Isolated and Internet-capable) |
| Subnet | 10.0.0.0/24 |
| Kali Static IP | 10.0.0.2/24 |
| Gateway | 10.0.0.1 |
| DNS | 8.8.8.8 |
| Shared Folder | Host /Downloads -> Kali |
| Clipboard / Drag-Drop | Bidirectional Enabled |
Step 1 - Hypervisor & Tooling
Installed 7-Zip for archive extraction and VirtualBox 7.2 as the hypervisor.
Step 2 - Isolated NAT Network
Created a dedicated NAT Network instead of default NAT - this allows multiple future VMs to talk to each other and reach the internet.
Name: NatNetwork
IPv4 Prefix: 10.0.0.0/24
DHCP: Enabled
IPv6: Disabled
Step 3 - Importing Kali Linux
Downloaded Kali Linux 2026.2 (official VirtualBox image) and attached it to NatNetwork.
Step 4 - Static IP Configuration
IP Address: 10.0.0.2
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 10.0.0.1
DNS: 8.8.8.8
Step 5 - Shared Folder & Clipboard
Enabled bidirectional clipboard, drag-and-drop and mapped host /Downloads as a permanent shared folder.
Step 6 - Baseline Snapshot
Took a clean snapshot (Clean-Kali-NetworkSetup) as a recovery checkpoint before any future exploitation practice.
| Test | Command | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Interface & IP | ip a show eth0 |
10.0.0.2/24 confirmed |
| Gateway reachability | ping -c 2 10.0.0.1 |
Replies received |
| Internet reachability | ping -c 2 8.8.8.8 |
Replies received |
| DNS resolution | nslookup networkwalks.com |
Resolved |
Issue: Internet dropped after switching to a static IP (common on Kali 2026.x + VirtualBox 7).
Root cause: NetworkManager's DAD (Duplicate Address Detection) timeout stalling the connection.
Fix:
sudo nmcli connection modify "Ethernet1" ipv4.dad-timeout 0
sudo nmcli connection down "Ethernet1"
sudo nmcli connection up "Ethernet1"- NAT vs. NAT Network - a NAT Network lets multiple VMs cross-communicate and reach the internet unlike standard per-VM NAT. Essential for multi-machine labs.
- Static IP + documented subnet ranges make future target VMs trivial to add.
- Snapshots aren't optional - they're the "undo button" for a lab you're about to break on purpose.
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 7-Zip | Archive extraction |
| VirtualBox 7.2 | Hypervisor / virtualization layer |
| Kali Linux 2026.2 | Attacker OS / pentesting distro |
| nmcli | Network Interface Management |
Built and documented by Pratyay Chandra.