How to allow using Touch ID from macOS virtual machine running under macOS host machine (from vmfusion)

[zohark81]

Hi,

I'm trying to use the Touch ID on my virtual machine running under VMware Fusion 11.5 with OS version macOS Mojave.

I've searched and found out that a feature request for using touch-id from windows running under Mac host, but my case of Mac under Mac seems simpler (same platform) so perhaps it's doable.

I've looked at the options but couldn't find anyway to use the Touch ID, although camera is definitely possible to connect to VM)

[wila]

Hi,

Welcome at the community forums.

That would be a pretty cool feature, but it is currently not available as a feature for the guest OS.

Hope this helps,

--

Wil

[ColoradoMarmot]

FWIW, touchID is highly integrated with the T2 security chip, which isn't likely to be virtualizable (is that a word?)...suspect this one's not something that the VMWare wizards will be able to pull off.

[wila]

Hi,

While that might be true.. the Touch ID functionality is exposed to other applications.

See for example the following blog post on how-to use touch id with sudo:

https://www.radiotope.com/blog/?p=posts/2019/10/02/sudoTouchID.md

Which is a feature that is actually super handy.

If VMware would implement something like that, then -while probably a great feature- it will have some security implications.

Of course that does not mean they could add it as a sensor to the VM, but perhaps there are some frameworks who could offer that functionality in another way.

--

Wil

[ColoradoMarmot]

Good point, they could use that API, though the OS itself probably won't work without direct hardware access.

And yeah, I can see all sorts of ways to intercept it.

[TECH198]

Well. They do allow TPM in VM, which is also "hardware based" Windows systems...

Knowing that, it should be perfectly do-able with TouchID too on the Mac side... Security may be a reason not to implement it, but if it's gonna be a security issue with one , then its also a security issue with the other too  with encrypting in "software" hypervisor.