Kali Linux 2025.4 Launches with New Hacking Tools & Upgrades
▼ Summary
– Kali Linux 2025.4 is the final update of the year, adding three new hacking tools: bpf-linker, evil-winrm-py, and hexstrike-ai.
– The release includes desktop environment updates for GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Xfce, with GNOME now running solely on Wayland.
– Kali NetHunter receives expanded Android device support and a preview of the Wifipumpkin3 rogue access point attack framework.
– Other changes include distributing the Live image only via BitTorrent and adding new community mirrors in Asia and the US.
– Users can upgrade an existing installation or download new ISO images, with specific commands provided for the upgrade process.
The latest iteration of the popular security-focused operating system, Kali Linux 2025.4, has arrived as the year’s final update. This release delivers a suite of enhancements for penetration testers and security researchers, including three new specialized tools, significant desktop environment refinements, and expanded support for mobile and virtual platforms. Known for its robust toolkit, Kali provides a dedicated environment for tasks like penetration testing, red team exercises, and in-depth network analysis.
This distribution is versatile, available as a full install or a live boot environment. It runs on a broad spectrum of hardware, from standard PCs and Raspberry Pi boards to compatible Android smartphones via the Kali NetHunter project.
A key feature of every Kali update is the introduction of new utilities, and 2025.4 adds three noteworthy entries to its arsenal. The new tools are:
- bpf-linker: A straightforward static linker for BPF (Berkeley Packet Filter) programs.
- evil-winrm-py: A Python-based utility designed to execute commands on remote Windows machines through the WinRM (Windows Remote Management) protocol.
- hexstrike-ai: An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables AI agents to autonomously operate security tools.
Significant attention has been paid to improving the user experience across Kali’s supported desktop environments, which include GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Xfce. GNOME has been updated to version 49, featuring refreshed themes, a new video player called Showtime, and a reorganized application grid. Notably, this release drops X11 support entirely, running exclusively on the modern Wayland display protocol. A much-requested quality-of-life addition is a keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Alt+T or Win+T) to instantly open a terminal window.
The KDE Plasma desktop now runs version 6.5, bringing better window tiling, an improved screenshot utility, easier clipboard management, and more flexible search within the KRunner launcher. Meanwhile, the Xfce environment gains support for system-wide color themes, bringing it closer to the customization options already present in GNOME and KDE.
With GNOME’s full shift to Wayland, the Kali team has ensured full guest utilities support for major virtualization platforms like VirtualBox, VMware, and QEMU, improving performance and integration for users running Kali in virtual machines.
The mobile-focused Kali NetHunter also receives important updates. Device support expands to include Android 16 on the Samsung Galaxy S10 and OnePlus Nord, and Android 15 on the Xiaomi Mi 9. The NetHunter Terminal app has been restored with better compatibility for newer Magisk versions that use interactive mode, preventing terminal sessions from accidentally closing. Furthermore, a preview of Wifipumpkin3 is now accessible within the NetHunter app. This framework for rogue access point attacks comes pre-loaded with phishing templates targeting platforms like Facebook, Instagram, iCloud, and Snapchat.
Several other changes round out this release. Due to its increasing size, the Kali Live image is now distributed exclusively via BitTorrent for more reliable downloads. To bolster global access, three new community mirrors have been established in Asia and one in the United States. Under-the-hood improvements and reliability fixes have also been applied to Kali Cloud and the Kali WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) application.
Getting started with Kali Linux 2025.4 is straightforward. Existing installations can be upgraded, or new ISO images can be downloaded for fresh installs. To upgrade a current system, users can execute the following commands in a terminal: “` echo “deb http://http.kali.org/kali kali-rolling main contrib non-free non-free-firmware” | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list sudo apt update && sudo apt -y full-upgrade cp -vrbi /etc/skel/. ~/ [ -f /var/run/reboot-required ] && sudo reboot -f “` For an optimal experience on Windows, users running Kali in WSL are encouraged to upgrade to WSL2, which supports graphical applications. The command `wsl -l -v` in a Windows command prompt will show the current WSL version. After upgrading, the command `grep VERSION /etc/os-release` can confirm a successful update to 2025.4.
(Source: Bleeping Computer)
