USB Generic Smart Card Reader Interface not working on Ubuntu Guests

[razzy]

I have a USB smart card reader (also known as PIV/CAC reader) that works as expected in native Ubuntu and as expected in Ubuntu under other virtual environments (e.g. VMWare). The card reader also works fine in Windows 10 guests in VirtualBox. I have reproduced the same behavior on both MacOS and Windows 10 hosts.

In Ubuntu under VirtualBox, the card reader shows up, but the PIV card always shows as "unresponsive".

opensc-tool -av
Using reader with a card: Generic Smart Card Reader Interface [Smart Card Reader Interface] (20070818000000000) 00 00
Connecting to card in reader Generic Smart Card Reader Interface [Smart Card Reader Interface] (20070818000000000) 00 00...
Failed to connect to card: Unresponsive card (correctly inserted?)

I have the latest Virtual Box tools installed in the guest, and have the latest VM VirtualBox Extension Pack installed.

Guest OS

Distributor ID:	Ubuntu
Description:	Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS
Release:	18.04
Codename:	bionic

[Socratis]

1. It's usually better and faster, if issues get first addressed in the ​VirtualBox forums, a lot more eyes there. More than 95% of the issues are resolved in the forums, which keeps the developers focusing on the bug fixes and enhancements, and there is no need for another ticket to keep track of. For example, yours is most probably not a bug and someone from the developers has to deal with it and close it as "Invalid".

Plus a discussion and analysis on the bug tracker is going to help me, you, and potentially a future drive-by user or two. Not so in the forums, many more tend to benefit...

2. Please read the following thread: ​USB basics and troubleshooting, all of the posts. If you still have a problem after reading through the whole thing, please head to the ​forums, and follow the advice of the last post and post the information requested. Please be sure to mention that you came from the bug tracker and include the ticket number.

3. You were supposed to follow these steps when you filed the bug, and provide a VBox.log:

   Attach a (full) log file ("Machine" menu/"Show Log" in the main VirtualBox Manager window) straight away to save time for you and for us. The log file contains a lot of useful information about both the host and the guest systems as well as information about what happened during a particular machine run. Please do not cut and paste it.

[razzy]

VBox Info and VM Log

[razzy]

Sorry for not following protocol.

Followed up on forum: ​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=94543

Also, uploaded log file and VBoxManage info.

[Socratis]

Based on the discussion in the forums and the OP's comment (​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=94572&p=456884#p457019), this was solved by having the OP use USB3 instead of USB2.