Kali Linux

Kali Linux
DeveloperOffensive Security
OS familyLinux (Unix-like)
Working stateActive
Source modelOpen-source
Initial releaseMarch 13, 2013 (2013-03-13)[1]
Latest release2025.1a[2] Edit this on Wikidata / 19 March 2025 (19 March 2025)
Repository
Update methodRolling release
Package managerAPT (several front-ends available)
Platformsx86, x86-64, armel, armhf
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
Default
user interface
Xfce,[3] GNOME,[3] KDE[3]
LicenseGNU General Public License v3.0
Official websitewww.kali.org
Support status
Active

Kali Linux is a Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing.[4] It is maintained and funded by Offensive Security.[5] The software is based on the DebianTesting branch: most packages Kali uses are imported from the Debian repositories.[6] The tagline of Kali Linux and BackTrack is "The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear", which is displayed on some backgrounds, see this example. Kali Linux has gained immense popularity in the cybersecurity community due to its comprehensive set of tools designed for penetration testing, vulnerability analysis, and reverse engineering.

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.

It was developed by Mati Aharoni and Devon Kearns of Offensive Security through the rewrite of BackTrack, their previous information security testing Linux distribution based on Knoppix.[10]

Kali Linux's popularity grew when it was featured in multiple episodes of the TV series Mr. Robot. Tools highlighted in the show and provided by Kali Linux include Bluesniff, Bluetooth Scanner (btscanner), John the Ripper, Metasploit Framework, Nmap, Shellshock, and Wget.[11][12][13]

  1. ^ "Official Kali Linux Releases". Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  2. ^ "Kali Linux 2025.1a Release (2025 Theme, & Raspberry Pi)". March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference softpedia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ *"Kali Linux 1.0 review". LinuxBSDos.com. March 14, 2013. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  5. ^ *Watson, J.A. (May 28, 2014). "Hands-on with Kali Linux 1.0.7". ZDNet.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  6. ^ "Kali's Relationship With Debian". Kali Linux. March 11, 2013. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  7. ^ "Kali Linux Penetration Testing Tools". tools.kali.org. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  8. ^ "Kali Linux Metapackages". www.kali.org. February 26, 2014. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  9. ^ "Kali Linux arrives as enterprise-ready version of BackTrack - The H Open: News and Features". www.h-online.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  10. ^ Leroux, Sylvain (May 3, 2017). "The Kali Linux Review You Must Read Before You Start Using it". itsfoss.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  11. ^ Grauer, Yael (August 26, 2015). "A Peek Inside Mr. Robot's Toolbox". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  12. ^ "Exploring the Hacker Tools of Mr Robot". HackerTarget.com. August 21, 2015. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  13. ^ "Mr. Robot and Kali Linux". December 29, 2020. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2022./

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