04/04/24, 16:14 Kali Linux - Wikipedia

Kali Linux
Kali Linux is a Linux distribution designed for digital
Kali Linux
forensics and penetration testing.[4] It is maintained
and funded by Offensive Security.[5]The software is
based on the Debian Testing branch: most packages
Kali uses are imported from the Debian repositories.[6]

Kali Linux has approximately 600[7] penetration-testing

programs (tools), including Armitage (a graphical cyber
attack management tool), Nmap (a port scanner),
Wireshark (a packet analyzer), metasploit (penetration
testing framework), John the Ripper (a password
cracker), sqlmap (automatic SQL injection and database
takeover tool), Aircrack-ng (a software suite for
penetration-testing wireless LANs), Burp suite and
OWASP ZAP web application security scanners,[8][9]
etc.[10]

It was developed by Mati Aharoni and Devon Kearns of Developer Offensive Security
Offensive Security through the rewrite of BackTrack, OS family Linux (Unix-like)
their previous information security testing Linux Working state Active
distribution based on Knoppix. The tagline of Kali Linux
Source model Open-source
and BackTrack is "The quieter you become, the more
you are able to hear", which is displayed on some Initial release 13 March 2013[1]
backgrounds, see this example. Latest release 2024.1[2] / 28
February 2024
Kali Linux's popularity grew when it was featured in Repository pkg.kali.org (https://pk
multiple episodes of the TV series Mr. Robot. Tools
g.kali.org/)
highlighted in the show and provided by Kali Linux
include Bluesniff, Bluetooth Scanner (btscanner), John Update method Rolling release
the Ripper, Metasploit Framework, Nmap, Shellshock, Package manager APT (several front-
and Wget.[11][12][13] ends available)
Platforms x86, x86-64, armel,
Version history armhf
Kernel type Monolithic (Linux)
The first version, 1.0.0 "moto", was released in March
2013.[1] Default Xfce,[3] GNOME,[3]
user interface KDE[3]
With version 2019.4 in November 2019, the default user License GNU General Public
interface was switched from GNOME to Xfce, with a License v3.0
GNOME version still available.[3]
Official website www.kali.org (https://w
ww.kali.org/)
Support status
Active

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With version 2020.3 in August 2020, the default shell was switched from Bash to ZSH, with Bash
remaining as an option.[14]

Requirements
Kali Linux requires:

A minimum of 20GB hard disk space for installation, depending on the version. Version 2020.2
requires at least 20GB.[15]
A minimum of 2GB RAM for i386 and AMD64 architectures.
A bootable CD-DVD drive or a USB stick.
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.

Supported platforms
Kali Linux is distributed in 32-bit and 64-bit images for use on hosts based on the x86 instruction
set and as an image for the ARM architecture for use on the Beagle Board computer and Samsung's
ARM Chromebook.[16]

The developers of Kali Linux aim to make Kali Linux available for even more ARM devices.[17]

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.[18]

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.[19]

Features
Kali Linux has a dedicated project set aside for compatibility and porting to specific Android
devices, called Kali NetHunter.[20]

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.[20]

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

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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.[21]

Comparison with other Linux distributions

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,[22] as well as having features such as the default user being the
superuser in the Kali Live Environment.[23]

Tools
Kali Linux includes security tools, such as:[7][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]

Aircrack-ng Hashcat OWASP ZAP

Autopsy John the Ripper Reverse engineering toolkit
Armitage Kismet Social engineering tools
Burp Suite Lynis Sqlmap
BeEF Maltego Volatility
Cisco Global Exploiter Metasploit framework VulnHub
Ettercap Nmap Wireshark
Foremost Nessus WPScan
Hydra Nikto
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,[32] and makes it available for free
download.[33]

See also
Free and open-
source software
portal
Computer
programming portal
Linux portal

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

References
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1. "Official Kali Linux Releases" (https://www.kali.org/kali-linux-releases/). Retrieved 2020-08-29.

2. "Kali Linux 2024.1 Release (Micro Mirror)" (https://www.kali.org/blog/kali-linux-2024-1-releas
e/). 28 February 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
3. Nestor, Marius (26 November 2019). "Kali Linux Ethical Hacking OS Switches to Xfce Desktop,
Gets New Look and Feel" (https://news.softpedia.com/news/kali-linux-ethical-hacking-os-switc
hes-to-xfce-desktop-gets-new-look-and-feel-528328.shtml). softpedia. Retrieved 2019-11-29.

4. "Kali Linux 1.0 review" (http://linuxbsdos.com/2013/03/14/kali-linux-1-0-review/).

LinuxBSDos.com. 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
Simionato, Lorenzo (2007-04-24). "Review: BackTrack 2 security live CD" (https://www.linu
x.com/news/review-backtrack-2-security-live-cd). Linux.com. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
Barr, Joe (13 June 2008). "Test your environment's security with BackTrack" (https://www.li
nux.com/news/test-your-environments-security-backtrack). Linux.com. Retrieved
2019-04-10.
"BackTrack 4 - Hacking galore" (https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/backtrack.html).
Dedoimedo.com. 2009-05-15. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
"BackTrack 5 R3 review" (http://linuxbsdos.com/2012/08/17/backtrack-5-r3-review/).
LinuxBSDos.com. 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2019-04-10.

5. Watson, J.A. (2014-05-28). "Hands-on with Kali Linux 1.0.7" (https://www.zdnet.com/article/

hands-on-with-kali-linux-1-0-7/). ZDNet.com. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
"Kali Linux 1.0.7 review" (http://linuxbsdos.com/2014/05/30/kali-linux-1-0-7-review/).
LinuxBSDos.com. 2014-05-30. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
"Kali Linux review" (https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/kali-linux.html).
Dedoimedo.com. 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
Watson, J.A. (2016-01-22). "Hands-on with Kali Linux Rolling" (https://www.zdnet.com/articl
e/hand-on-with-kali-linux-rolling/). ZDNet.com. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
Smith, Jesse (2016-04-25). "Kali Linux 2016.1" (https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=
20160425#kali). DistroWatch Weekly. No. 658. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
6. "Kali's Relationship With Debian" (https://docs.kali.org/policy/kali-linux-relationship-with-debia
n). Kali Linux. 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
7. "Kali Linux Penetration Testing Tools" (https://tools.kali.org/). tools.kali.org. Retrieved
2019-04-10.
8. "Kali Linux Metapackages" (https://www.kali.org/news/kali-linux-metapackages/). www.kali.org.
26 February 2014. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
9. "Kali Linux arrives as enterprise-ready version of BackTrack - The H Open: News and
Features" (http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Kali-Linux-arrives-as-enterprise-ready-vers
ion-of-BackTrack-1822241.html). www.h-online.com. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
10. "Mr. Robot and Kali Linux" (https://www.kali.org/blog/mr-robot-arg-society). 29 December
2020./
11. Leroux, Sylvain (3 May 2017). "The Kali Linux Review You Must Read Before You Start Using
it" (https://itsfoss.com/kali-linux-review/). itsfoss.com. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
12. Grauer, Yael (2015-08-26). "A Peek Inside Mr. Robot's Toolbox" (https://www.wired.com/2015/0
8/peek-inside-mr-robots-toolbox/). Wired. ISSN 1059-1028 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1059
-1028). Retrieved 2020-04-15.
13. "Exploring the Hacker Tools of Mr Robot" (https://hackertarget.com/hacker-tools-mr-robot/).
HackerTarget.com. 2015-08-21. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
14. "Kali Linux 2020.4 Release" (https://www.kali.org/news/kali-linux-2020-4-release/).
www.kali.org. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-12.

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15. "Kali Linux Hard Disk Install" (https://web.archive.org/web/20200519234025/https://www.kali.or

g/docs/installation/kali-linux-hard-disk-install/). Kali Linux Official Documentation. Archived from
the original (https://www.kali.org/docs/installation/kali-linux-hard-disk-install/) on 2020-05-19.
Retrieved 2020-05-28.
16. Pauli, Darren (2013-03-13). "BackTrack successor Kali Linux launched" (https://www.itnews.co
m.au/news/backtrack-successor-kali-launched-336420). SC Magazine. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
17. Orin, Andy (2014-12-03). "Behind the App: The Story of Kali Linux" (https://lifehacker.com/behi
nd-the-app-the-story-of-kali-linux-1666168491). Lifehacker. Retrieved 2019-04-10. "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."
18. "04. Kali Linux on ARM" (https://docs.kali.org/category/kali-on-arm). Retrieved 2019-09-04.
19. muts (2018-03-05). "Kali Linux in the Windows App Store" (https://www.kali.org/news/kali-linux-
in-the-windows-app-store/). Kali Linux. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
20. "Kali Linux NetHunter for Nexus and OnePlus" (https://www.kali.org/kali-linux-nethunter/).
Retrieved 2019-04-10.
21. "Kali Linux Forensics Mode" (https://docs.kali.org/general-use/kali-linux-forensics-mode).
Retrieved 2019-04-10.
22. Gray, Lerma (12 February 2021). "11 Best Linux Distros For Hacking And Penetration Testing
in 2021 – dev.Count" (https://devcount.com/linux-distros-hacking/). Retrieved 2022-05-02.
23. "Kali's Default Credentials | Kali Linux Documentation" (https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/d
efault-credentials/). Kali Linux. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
24. "Burp Suite - Application Security Testing Software" (https://portswigger.net/burp).
portswigger.net. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
25. "BeEF - The Browser Exploitation Framework Project" (https://beefproject.com/).
beefproject.com. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
26. "cisco-global-exploiter | Kali Linux Tools" (https://www.kali.org/tools/cisco-global-exploiter/). Kali
Linux. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
27. "sqlmap: automatic SQL injection and database takeover tool" (https://sqlmap.org/).
sqlmap.org. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
28. "WPScan: WordPress Security Scanner" (https://wpscan.com/). wpscan.com. Retrieved
2023-09-29.
29. Reverse Engineer's Toolkit (https://github.com/mentebinaria/retoolkit), Mente Binária, 2023-09-
28, retrieved 2023-09-29
30. dev-gsniper (2023-09-27), Reverse-Engineering-toolkit (https://github.com/geeksniper/reverse-
engineering-toolkit), retrieved 2023-09-29
31. "Vulnerable By Design ~ VulnHub" (https://www.vulnhub.com/). www.vulnhub.com. Retrieved
2023-09-29.
32. Hertzog, Raphael; O'Gorman, Jim; Aharoni, Mati (2017-06-05). Kali Linux Revealed: Mastering
the Penetration Testing Distribution (https://books.google.com/books?id=6n9atAEACAAJ).
Offsec Press. ISBN 978-0-9976156-0-9.
33. Kali Linux Revealed (https://web.archive.org/web/20210102180929/https://kali.training/downloa
ds/Kali-Linux-Revealed-1st-edition.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (https://kali.training/do
wnloads/Kali-Linux-Revealed-1st-edition.pdf) (PDF) on 2021-01-02. Retrieved 2020-03-17.

External links
Official website (https://www.kali.org)
Kali Linux (https://www.distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=kali) at DistroWatch
Kali Linux (https://twitter.com/kalilinux) on Twitter

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