Kali Linux 2025.1a: New Tools & Theme Refresh

Kali Linux is a specialized operating system primarily designed for cybersecurity professionals and ethical hackers, offering a robust platform for red team exercises, penetration testing, security auditing, cybersecurity research, and educational purposes.

Kali Linux 2025.1a: The First Major Update of 2025

Today, Kali Linux has released its first update of the year, Kali Linux 2025.1a, introducing new tools, desktop environment enhancements, a refreshed theme, and an updated kernel for Raspberry Pi devices.

New Tool in Kali Linux 2025.1a

This update introduces hoaxshell, a Windows reverse shell payload generator and handler that establishes a beacon-like reverse shell by exploiting HTTP/HTTPS protocols.

Unfortunately, this release primarily focuses on system improvements, meaning hoaxshell is the only new tool added in this update.

Annual Theme Refresh

With each new iteration, Kali Linux not only enhances its cybersecurity capabilities but also aims to deliver a more refined and visually appealing user experience. The 2025.1a update brings a revamped visual identity, including new desktop wallpapers, boot menu backgrounds, and login screen designs.

Desktop Environment Enhancements

The Kali Linux 2025.1a release ships with Plasma 6.2 and Xfce 4.20, ensuring a smoother, more modern desktop experience. The entire theme set has been overhauled to integrate seamlessly with the updated environment, introducing refreshed window designs, desktop aesthetics, and a floating panel for an enhanced workflow.

Raspberry Pi Support

The Kali Linux 2025.1a image for Raspberry Pi now incorporates newer software packages, aligning with the raspi-firmware package used in Raspberry Pi OS.

Additionally, the update upgrades the kernel to version 6.6.74, which serves as the official kernel for Raspberry Pi OS. This advancement enables Kali Linux to fully support the Raspberry Pi 5 series, expanding its capabilities on single-board computing devices.

Upgrading to Kali Linux 2025.1a

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