Kali Linux

Selecting Kali or Windows at system boot

How to dual boot Kali Linux and Windows 10

by

If you want to run Kali Linux on your system but you already have Windows 10 installed, you have a couple of options. One thing you could do is install Kali Linux in a virtual machine, as we’ve shown in our tutorials for installing Kali in VMware and installing Kali in VirtualBox.

The other option is to create a dual boot environment for Kali and Windows. Both options have their pros and cons. The main reason you might want to dual boot with Kali, as opposed to running it in a virtual machine, is to give Kali direct access to your system’s hardware. This way, you don’t have the overhead of a hypervisor, and direct access to components is a lot easier, such as for a Wi-Fi adapter. This is a big selling point if you plan to test the security of Wi-Fi hotspots, for example.

A dual boot environment works by prompting you at startup to select which operating system you’d like to load into. So, you’ll have to reboot your computer each time you want to load into a different operating system. That’s the only disadvantage of this method, but for a system like Kali it should prove worth it.

Ready to get Kali Linux installed alongside Windows 10? Read on below as we take you through all the steps.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • How to install Kali Linux alongside Windows 10
  • How to load into Kali Linux or Windows 10 at system boot

Selecting Kali or Windows at system boot

Selecting Kali or Windows at system boot

Read more

Using JoomScan on Kali Linux

Use JoomScan to scan Joomla for vulnerabilities on Kali

by

When installing a content management system for your website, it’s easy to get lazy and assume that it’s going to do all the work for you. A CMS like Joomla certainly does make things more convenient, and lets you publish a polished website very quickly, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take some extra time to secure it.

If your website is running Joomla, you can use the JoomScan utility against your site to uncover vulnerabilities or just general information that can assist in an attack against your site. Once you’re aware of the the site’s weak spots, you can take the proper steps to secure it. JoomScan works similarly to WPScan, which is used for scanning WordPress sites for vulnerabilities.

In this guide, we’ll see how to use JoomScan on Kali Linux. JoomScan itself is not a tool that can be used maliciously while performing simple scans against a site, unless you consider the extra traffic itself to be malicious. But the information it reveals about a site can be leveraged by attackers to launch an attack. Therefore, make sure you have permission to scan a website when using this tool.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • How to use JoomScan
Using JoomScan on Kali Linux

Using JoomScan on Kali Linux

Read more

Installing VMware Tools on Kali Linux

How to install VMware Tools on Kali Linux

by

If you’re running Kali Linux inside a VMware virtual machine, installing the VMware Tools software will help you get the most out of the system. VMware Tools will give the machine more capabilities, such as a shared clipboard with the host system, drag and drop file transfer, and automatic window resizing.

This makes copying data to and from a host system much more convenient. It also changes the VM’s resolution automatically when its window is resized, so you don’t need to change it manually. VMware Tools will work with just about any Linux distribution, but instructions can differ because of dependencies and package managers. Normally, Kali will automatically detect what platform the operating system has been installed on, and will include VMware Tools (if applicable) by default. If yours isn’t working or you just need to know how to use the features, we’ve got you covered in this guide.

In this guide, we’ll be going over the step by step instructions to get VMware Tools installed on Kali Linux. With these instructions, it doesn’t matter what host system you’re using, as long as the virtual machine is running Kali. This guide assumes that you’ve already installed Kali in the VM correctly.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • How to install VMware Tools on Kali Linux

Read more

Giving a user root permissions on Kali Linux

How to provide user with root privileges on Kali Linux

by

Many of the hacking tools on Kali Linux require root privileges to execute, not to mention all the ordinary Linux commands that require it. If you’re sick of having to preface commands with sudo and typing in the root password often, we have a couple of solutions for you.

You can login to the root user in terminal with the sudo -i command, as we explain in our guide on Kali Linux default password. Alternatively, you can see our guide on enabling root login in Kali in order to login to the GUI with the root account.

The last option is to provide a normal user account with root privileges. In this guide, we’ll go through the step by step instructions to grant root privileges to a normal user account on Kali Linux.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • How to provide user with root privileges on Kali Linux

Read more

Installing Java JDK via command line on Kali Linux

How to install Java on Kali Linux

by

The objective of this guide is to show how to install the Java Development Kit (JDK) on Kali Linux. This is needed by Java developers and programmers in order to compile and run Java applications. It’s also required for security tools that are built in Java.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • How to install Java JDK in Kali Linux

Read more

Using a hex editor to view binary file on Kali Linux

How to install and use Hex editor on Kali Linux

by

Once a program has been compiled, it’s tough to get a peek at the source code or to manipulate its behavior. But there is one thing we can do, which is to edit the hexadecimal values inside the binary files. This will sometimes reveal information about a file, or allow us to modify its behavior if we can edit the right bit.

A classic example is video game hacks. When playing a game, let’s say your character has a health value of 100. Chances are that a certain bit can be edited to make it 9999. This works more reliably in older, basic games, but it illustrates how hex editors can modify a compiled binary file.

In this guide, we’ll show how to install hex editors on Kali Linux, and give some examples so you can see how to use them on your own system.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • List of hex editors for Kali
  • How to use hex editors on Kali

Read more

List of Kali Linux keyboard shortcuts

Kali Linux keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet

by

Kali Linux users have a lot of typing ahead of them. The process of gathering reconnaisance information before launching an attack, and finally using penetration testing tools against a target system, usually involves a lot of keystrokes and maybe a few command line terminals.

To maximize your productivity in Kali and save yourself some time, you can learn some keyboard shortcuts. In this guide, we’ve compiled a bunch of useful keyboard shortcuts into a cheat sheet, so you can refer back to it any time you need. We’ll also show you how to create your own keyboard shortcuts.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • Kali Linux keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet
  • How to create custom keyboard shortcuts

Read more

Penetration testing and hacking tools on Kali Linux

List of best Kali Linux tools for penetration testing and hacking

by

Kali Linux is a Linux distribution geared towards cyber security professionals, penetration testers, and ethical hackers. It comes decked out with a large assortment of hacking tools, and many more can be installed.

Perhaps you’re thinking about installing Kali Linux, or have recently installed it but aren’t sure of where to start. In this guide, we’re going to go over some of our favorite penetration testing and hacking tools on the distro. This will give you a good impression of what’s available, as well as some idea of how to use the various tools.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • Best Kali Linux tools for penetration testing and hacking

Read more

Taking a screenshot on Kali Linux

How to take a screenshot on Kali Linux

by

In this guide, we’ll be showing you how to take screenshots in Kali Linux. There are a few different utilities we can use to accomplish this task, and this article will ensure that you’re familiar with them.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • How to take a screenshot with Kali’s screenshot utilities
  • How to use Flameshot for screenshots and annotations
  • How to use Kazam to take screenshots and screencasts

Read more

Running GNOME desktop environment on Kali Linux

How to install GNOME desktop on Kali Linux

by

Most Linux distributions have a “main” desktop environment they use – the one that comes installed by default in the distro’s most popular download. For Kali Linux, it’s Xfce.

If you prefer GNOME over Xfce or are just looking for a change of scenery, it’s quite simple to switch desktop environments on Kali. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to install the GNOME desktop environment on Kali Linux.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • How to install GNOME desktop on Kali Linux

Read more

telnet command on Kali Linux

How to install and use telnet on Kali Linux

by

The telnet utility, a once common protocol that graced the terminal of every system administrator and power user, was a precursor for SSH. These days, it’s a forgotten relic that isn’t installed by default on most Linux distros.

Despite the other protocols that have come to replace it, telnet remains an ideal utility to test the connection to a certain port of a device. In this guide, we’ll see how to install telnet on Kali Linux, along with some usage examples.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • How to install telnet
  • Command usage examples for telnet

Read more