Kali Linux

Kali Linux has a dedicated project set aside for compatibility and porting to specific Android devices, called Kali NetHunter.{{cite web |title=Kali Linux NetHunter for Nexus and OnePlus |url=https://www.kali.org/kali-linux-nethunter/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102042508/https://www.kali.org/kali-linux-nethunter/ |archive-date=January 2, 2017 |access-date=April 10, 2019}}

It is the first open source Android penetration testing platform for Nexus devices, created as a joint effort between the Kali community member "BinkyBear" and Offensive Security. It supports Wireless 802.11 frame injection, one-click MANA Evil Access Point setups, HID keyboard (Teensy like attacks), as well as Bad USB MITM attacks.

BackTrack (Kali's predecessor) contained a mode known as forensic mode, which was carried over to Kali via live boot. This mode is very popular for many reasons, partly because many Kali users already have a bootable Kali USB drive or CD, and this option makes it easy to apply Kali to a forensic job. When booted in forensic mode, the system doesn't touch the internal hard drive or swap space and auto mounting is disabled. However, the developers recommend that users test these features extensively before using Kali for real world forensics.{{cite web |title=Kali Linux Forensics Mode |url=https://docs.kali.org/general-use/kali-linux-forensics-mode |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125142754/https://docs.kali.org/general-use/kali-linux-forensics-mode |archive-date=November 25, 2019 |access-date=April 10, 2019}}

The first version, 1.0.0 "moto", was released in March 2013.

With version 2019.4 in November 2019, the default user interface was switched from GNOME to Xfce, with a GNOME version still available.{{cite web|first1=Marius|last1=Nestor|access-date=November 29, 2019|title=Kali Linux Ethical Hacking OS Switches to Xfce Desktop, Gets New Look and Feel|url=https://news.softpedia.com/news/kali-linux-ethical-hacking-os-switches-to-xfce-desktop-gets-new-look-and-feel-528328.shtml|website=softpedia|date=November 26, 2019|archive-date=June 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630015400/https://news.softpedia.com/news/kali-linux-ethical-hacking-os-switches-to-xfce-desktop-gets-new-look-and-feel-528328.shtml|url-status=live}}

With version 2020.3 in August 2020, the default shell was switched from Bash to ZSH, with Bash remaining as an option.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=November 18, 2020|title=Kali Linux 2020.4 Release|url=https://www.kali.org/news/kali-linux-2020-4-release/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129134940/https://www.kali.org/news/kali-linux-2020-4-release/|archive-date=January 29, 2021|access-date=January 12, 2021|website=www.kali.org|url-status=live}}

With version 2024.4 in December 2024, version 6.11 of the Linux kernel is introduced, official support for 32-bit images is dropped, and DSA keys are deprecated for OpenSSH.{{Cite web |date=December 16, 2024 |title=Kali Linux 2024.4 Release (Python 3.12, Goodbye i386, Raspberry Pi Imager & Kali NetHunter) |url=https://www.kali.org/blog/kali-linux-2024-4-release/ |access-date=December 23, 2024 |website=Kali.org |publisher=Kali Linux Blog}}

Kali Linux requires:{{cite web |date=October 22, 2024 |title=Installing Kali Linux |url=https://www.kali.org/docs/installation/hard-disk-install/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126180757/https://www.kali.org/docs/installation/hard-disk-install/ |archive-date=November 26, 2024 |access-date=December 23, 2024 |website=Kali.org}}

• A minimum of 20GB hard disk space for installation, depending on the version. Version 2020.2 requires at least 20GB.
• A minimum of 2GB RAM for i386 and AMD64 architectures.
• A CD-DVD drive, USB stick or other bootable media.
• A minimum of an Intel Core i3 or an AMD E1 processor for good performance.

The recommended hardware specification for a smooth experience are:

• 50 GB of hard disk space, SSD preferred.
• At least 2GB of RAM.

Kali Linux is currently distributed as a 64-bit images for use on hosts based on the x86-64 architecture and as an image for the ARM architecture for use on the Beagle Board computer and Samsung's ARM Chromebook.{{cite web |url=https://www.itnews.com.au/news/backtrack-successor-kali-launched-336420 |title=BackTrack successor Kali Linux launched |publisher=SC Magazine |first=Darren |last=Pauli |date=March 13, 2013 |access-date=April 10, 2019 |archive-date=April 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410145830/https://www.itnews.com.au/news/backtrack-successor-kali-launched-336420 |url-status=live }} With the release of 2024.4, 32-bit images based on the i386 architecture were officially dropped.{{Cite web |date=November 7, 2024 |title=Installing old i386 images |url=https://www.kali.org/docs/installation/installing-old-i386/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217201254/https://www.kali.org/docs/installation/installing-old-i386/ |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |access-date=December 23, 2024 |website=Kali.org}}

The developers of Kali Linux aim to make Kali Linux available for more ARM devices.{{cite web |url=https://lifehacker.com/behind-the-app-the-story-of-kali-linux-1666168491 |title=Behind the App: The Story of Kali Linux |publisher=Lifehacker |last=Orin |first=Andy |date=December 3, 2014 |access-date=April 10, 2019 |quote=Mati Aharoni: One of our goals with Kali is to provide images of the operating system for all sorts of exotic hardware—mainly ARM based. This includes everything from Raspberry Pi's to tablets, to Android TV devices, with each piece of hardware having some unique property. |archive-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020145254/https://lifehacker.com/behind-the-app-the-story-of-kali-linux-1666168491 |url-status=live }}

Kali Linux is already available for Asus Chromebook Flip C100P, BeagleBone Black, HP Chromebook, CubieBoard 2, CuBox, CuBox-i, Raspberry Pi, EfikaMX, Odroid U2, Odroid XU, Odroid XU3, Samsung Chromebook, Utilite Pro, Galaxy Note 10.1, and SS808.{{cite web |url=https://docs.kali.org/category/kali-on-arm |title=04. Kali Linux on ARM |access-date=September 4, 2019 |archive-date=November 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125074926/https://docs.kali.org/category/kali-on-arm |url-status=live }}

With the arrival of Kali NetHunter, Kali Linux is also officially available on Android devices such as the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7, Nexus 9, Nexus 10, OnePlus One, and some Samsung Galaxy models. It has also been made available for more Android devices through unofficial community builds.

Kali Linux is available on Windows 10, on top of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). The official Kali distribution for Windows can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store.{{cite web |url=https://www.kali.org/news/kali-linux-in-the-windows-app-store/ |title=Kali Linux in the Windows App Store |date=March 5, 2018 |access-date=April 10, 2019 |publisher=Kali Linux |author=muts |archive-date=January 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123112647/https://www.kali.org/news/kali-linux-in-the-windows-app-store/ |url-status=live }}

Kali Linux is developed with a focus towards cyber security experts, penetration testers, and white-hat hackers. There are a few other distributions dedicated to penetration testing, such as Parrot OS, BlackArch, and Wifislax. Kali Linux has stood out against these other distributions for cyber security and penetration testing,{{Cite web |last=Gray |first=Lerma |title=11 Best Linux Distros For Hacking And Penetration Testing in 2021 – dev.Count |date=February 12, 2021 |url=https://devcount.com/linux-distros-hacking/ |access-date=May 2, 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=May 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521054325/https://devcount.com/linux-distros-hacking/ |url-status=live }} as well as having features such as the default user being the superuser in the Kali Live Environment.{{Cite web |title=Kali's Default Credentials {{!}} Kali Linux Documentation |url=https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/default-credentials/ |access-date=May 2, 2022 |website=Kali Linux |language=English |archive-date=April 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415133516/https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/default-credentials/ |url-status=live }}

Kali Linux includes security tools, such as:{{Cite web |title=Burp Suite - Application Security Testing Software |url=https://portswigger.net/burp |access-date=September 29, 2023 |website=portswigger.net |archive-date=September 22, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030922083022/https://portswigger.net/burp |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=BeEF - The Browser Exploitation Framework Project |url=https://beefproject.com/ |access-date=September 29, 2023 |website=beefproject.com |archive-date=September 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926045927/https://beefproject.com/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=cisco-global-exploiter {{!}} Kali Linux Tools |url=https://www.kali.org/tools/cisco-global-exploiter/ |access-date=September 29, 2023 |website=Kali Linux |language=English |archive-date=October 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001050707/https://www.kali.org/tools/cisco-global-exploiter/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=sqlmap: automatic SQL injection and database takeover tool |url=https://sqlmap.org/ |access-date=September 29, 2023 |website=sqlmap.org |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919035810/https://sqlmap.org/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=WPScan: WordPress Security Scanner |url=https://wpscan.com/ |access-date=September 29, 2023 |website=wpscan.com |language=en |archive-date=September 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929082632/https://wpscan.com/ |url-status=live }}{{Citation |title=Reverse Engineer's Toolkit |date=September 28, 2023 |url=https://github.com/mentebinaria/retoolkit |access-date=September 29, 2023 |publisher=Mente Binária |archive-date=October 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004182747/https://github.com/mentebinaria/retoolkit |url-status=live }}{{Citation |last=dev-gsniper |title=Reverse-Engineering-toolkit |date=September 27, 2023 |url=https://github.com/geeksniper/reverse-engineering-toolkit |access-date=September 29, 2023 |archive-date=September 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927012634/https://github.com/geeksniper/reverse-engineering-toolkit |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Vulnerable By Design ~ VulnHub |url=https://www.vulnhub.com/ |access-date=September 29, 2023 |website=www.vulnhub.com |language=en |archive-date=September 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929033324/https://vulnhub.com/ |url-status=live }}

{{div col|colwidth=13em}}

• Aircrack-ng
• Autopsy
• Armitage
• Burp Suite
• BeEF
• Cisco Global Exploiter
• Ettercap
• Foremost
• Hydra
• Hashcat
• John the Ripper
• Kismet
• Lynis
• Maltego
• Metasploit framework
• Nmap
• Nikto
• OWASP ZAP
• Reverse engineering toolkit
• Social engineering tools
• Sqlmap
• Volatility
• VulnHub
• Wireshark
• WPScan

{{div col end}}

These tools can be used for a number of purposes, most of which involve exploiting a victim network or application, performing network discovery, or scanning a target IP address. Many tools from the previous version (BackTrack) were eliminated to focus on the most popular and effective penetration testing applications.

Offensive Security provides a book, Kali Linux Revealed,{{Cite book|last1=Hertzog|first1=Raphael|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6n9atAEACAAJ|title=Kali Linux Revealed: Mastering the Penetration Testing Distribution|last2=O'Gorman|first2=Jim|last3=Aharoni|first3=Mati|date=June 5, 2017|publisher=Offsec Press|isbn=978-0-9976156-0-9|language=en|access-date=March 17, 2020|archive-date=May 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521132906/https://books.google.com/books?id=6n9atAEACAAJ|url-status=live}} and makes it available to download with a subscription.{{Cite book|url=https://kali.training/downloads/Kali-Linux-Revealed-1st-edition.pdf|title=Kali Linux Revealed |access-date=March 17, 2020 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102180929/https://kali.training/downloads/Kali-Linux-Revealed-1st-edition.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Kali Purple is a flavor of Kali introduced in 2023 specifically designed for defensive security.{{Cite web |last=Abrams |first=Lawrence |date=March 13, 2023 |title=Kali Linux 2023.1 introduces 'Purple' distro for defensive security |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/kali-linux-20231-introduces-purple-distro-for-defensive-security/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214224342/https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/kali-linux-20231-introduces-purple-distro-for-defensive-security/ |archive-date=December 14, 2024 |access-date=December 14, 2024 |website=BleepingComputer |language=en-us}} It features its own suite of tools sorted into categories that correspond to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.{{Cite web |last=codelabs |date=March 14, 2023 |title=What is Kali Purple and How Is It Used? - TCM Security |url=https://tcm-sec.com/kali-purple-v2023-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214224610/https://tcm-sec.com/kali-purple-v2023-1/ |archive-date=December 14, 2024 |access-date=December 14, 2024 |website=TCM Security |language=en-US}}

{{Portal|Free and open-source software|Computer programming|Linux}}

• Kali NetHunter
• List of digital forensic tools
• Offensive Security
• Offensive Security Certified Professional
• Security-focused operating system

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.kali.org}}

{{Linux-distro}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:ARM operating systems

Category:Debian-based distributions

Category:Digital forensics software

Category:Linux distributions

Category:Operating system distributions bootable from read-only media

Category:Pentesting software toolkits

Category:Rolling release Linux distributions

Category:X86-64 Linux distributions