Kali is a Linux distribution based on Debian, strongly focused on security and specifically designed for computer forensics and advanced penetration testing.
It contains several hundred tools that are well-designed towards various information security tasks, such as penetration testing, security research, computer forensics and reverse engineering.
Kali Linux, which follows a rolling release model, has now been updated to version 2021.3, replete with updated tools, polished themes and new Kali Tools site.
Kali Linux 2021.3 Changes
Recently, Kali Linux 2021.3 was released. So let’s see what’s new in this version.
OpenSSL has been configured for wider compatibility, allowing the use of legacy protocols such as TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1. This is done to help increase Kali’s ability to talk to older, obsolete systems and servers that are still using these older protocols.
Just like the previous Kali Linux 2021.2 release, this new version also comes with a new set of tools to fulfill all your hacking demands.
- Berate_ap: For orchestrating MANA rogue Wi-Fi Access Points.
- CALDERA: Scalable automated adversary emulation platform.
- EAPHammer: For targeted evil twin attacks against WPA2-Enterprise Wi-Fi networks.
- HostHunter: A recon tool for discovering hostnames using OSINT techniques.
- RouterKeygenPC: For generating default WPA/WEP Wi-Fi keys.
- Subjack: A tool for pulling off a subdomain takeover.
- WPA_Sycophant: Evil client portion of EAP relay attack.
It is important to note that Kali Linux 2021.3 comes with some changes in the desktop space. GNOME and Xfce have received improved Kali-Dark and Kali-Light syntax-highlighting themes. In addition, the distro comes with redesigned GTK2 theme for a better fit of older programs. KDE plasma has also received a version bump, now including version 5.21.
On the virtualization field, basic features like copy and paste and drag and drop between the host and the guest should now work out of the box in Kali Linux 2021.3. And this is really for everyone: VMware, VirtualBox, Hyper-V and QEMU+Spice.
Related: Kali Linux on VirtualBox: A Step-by-Step Installation Guide
And last but not least, the developers have also released the first Kali NetHunter version for TicHunter Pro smartwatches.
It is still experimental, hence the features are limited to USB attacks, and some basic functions. The hardware also has limitations, as such a small battery won’t supply enough voltage for any OTG adapters, so huge antennas won’t stick out of your wrist! The future is very promising, bringing support for Nexmon and internal bluetooth usage.
For detailed information about all changes in Kali Linux 2021.3, you can refer to the official announcement.
How to Update
If you already have an existing Kali Linux installation, remember you can always do a quick update. Just type the commands shown below in your terminal:
echo "deb http://http.kali.org/kali kali-rolling main non-free contrib" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list
sudo apt update && sudo apt -y full-upgrade
sudo rebootCode language: PHP (php)After reboot you should be on Kali Linux 2021.3.
Related: What Linux Version Am I Running? Here’s How to Find Out
