Kali Linux 2025.1a Launches with Theme Update and Kali NetHunter Upgrades
2025 Theme Update
Kali Linux 2025.1a introduces an annual theme update, maintaining a modern interface. This year's update unveils a redesigned theme to enhance the user experience from the start. Users can expect significant visual improvements, such as an enhanced boot menu, an optimized login screen, and a selection of new wallpapers for the Kali and Kali Purple editions.
KDE Plasma 6.2
The new version of Kali introduces Plasma 6, representing a significant improvement over the previously included Plasma 5.27 version. With version 6.2 now available, the update incorporates numerous changes that modernize the desktop environment. Kali has updated all themes to integrate with the new interface, with updated window and desktop graphics complementing this transition. A notable new feature of KDE that users will appreciate: floating panels, offering a dynamic desktop experience.
Xfce 4.20
Kali Linux 2025.1a also updates its default desktop environment, Xfce, from version 4.18 to 4.20. This latest version, officially released on December 15, 2024, is the result of two years of development and is the stable successor to Xfce 4.18, which debuted in Kali 2023.1 during the 2022 holiday season. While it is a minor version upgrade, the update includes improvements that enhance stability and user experience.
Raspberry Pi
Kali Linux 2025.1a introduces several key updates for Raspberry Pi images, better adapting to the Raspberry Pi operating system. Notably, the update now utilizes the raspi-firmware package from Raspberry Pi OS, ensuring better compatibility and support. Additionally, a new kernel based on version 6.6.74, also from Raspberry Pi OS, is included in all Kali images for Raspberry Pi, offering full compatibility with Raspberry Pi 5. Due to extensive internal changes, users updating to Kali Linux 2025.1a on Raspberry Pi devices will need to start fresh with a new image instead of relying on standard upgrade procedures.
Kali NetHunter
Kali Linux 2025.1a brings exciting updates to Kali NetHunter, its mobile penetration testing platform. One of the most notable new features is the new "CAN Arsenal" tab in the NetHunter app, allowing vehicle hacking directly from a mobile device. NetHunter now includes newly ported kernels for Samsung phones, with the Samsung HID patch successfully restored—a feature that had been broken since the Galaxy S7 era. The NetHunter installer includes another improvement: it now features a dynamic wallpaper system. This enhancement eliminates the need to manually port wallpapers when adding new devices with unique resolutions.
New Kali NetHunter Kernels:
- Samsung Galaxy S9 (Exynos9810 – LineageOS 20/Android 13) - Samsung Galaxy S10 (Exynos 9820 – LineageOS 21 and LineageOS 22.1) - Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro (Android 11)
Download
Kali Linux 2025.1a is now available for download or update if you are already running Kali Linux. Kali Linux
