LIGHTDARK

Kali Linux 2026.3 Release (Build-Scripts Refresh)

Table of Contents

We are back with Kali Linux 2026.3, the third release of the year! We have been busy making it easier to build Kali, updating the desktop experience, and bringing in more tools for you. Ready to get your hands on it? Head over to the download page, or upgrade your existing installation to get started.

Here is what has changed since the 2026.2 release from June:

Build-Scripts Refresh

Back in Kali 2026.2, we gave a sneak peek that we were working on our build-scripts. Well, here it is!

We have always made our build-scripts public. These are the same scripts we use to generate every official Kali image available from kali.org/get-kali. Building your own Kali image may sound scary, but it is not as hard as it looks (see the quick example below).

We’ve brought consistency to our build-scripts across platforms. Each one now has the same features, command-line arguments, structure and layout (where possible), and the same look and feel.

Would you rather build inside a container? That is now supported, with both Docker and Podman! Each refreshed build-script comes with build-in-container.sh, which detects which container engine you have, creates the build container, and then runs the build from within it. Previously, we had recommended building Kali on Kali, which caused a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem. We have also improved the documentation for building Kali on Debian-based systems.

These changes are still underway. We are sorry for any CI pipelines or workflows we have broken along the way. Hopefully, the breakage is now behind us.

Quick Example: kali-installer

Let’s build our own Kali installer image, the same one you would download from us.

First, install git and clone the repository:

$ sudo apt install git ca-certificates
$ git clone https://gitlab.com/kalilinux/build-scripts/kali-installer.git
$ cd ./kali-installer/

To build straight from your machine, install the build dependencies, then run build.sh. The default options will build a Kali rolling image for the AMD64 architecture:

$ sudo apt install simple-cdd debian-cd cpio mtools dosfstools xorriso
$ sudo ./build.sh
┏━━(Kali Installer image)
┃  * Building a Kali Linux Installer image for amd64 architecture
┃ # System:
┃  * Build environment is host (bare metal)
┃  * Host architecture is amd64
┃ # Build:
┃  * Branch              : kali-rolling
┃  * Build mirror        : http://http.kali.org/kali/
┃  * Keep temporary files: false
┃  * Output              : /home/kali/kali-installer/output/kali-linux-rolling-installer-amd64.iso
┃  * Variant             : default
┃  * Version             : rolling
┃ # Installer:
┃  * Additional packages :
┃  * Hostname            : kali
┃ # Proxy configuration:
┃  * No apt caching proxy detected
┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[...]

Rather not install the dependencies on your machine? Build from within a container instead:

$ sudo apt install podman
$ sudo ./build-in-container.sh

Want something other than the default? Change the hostname, add extra packages, or pick a different variant, branch or architecture:

$ sudo ./build.sh --hostname haxbox --packages rustscan
$ sudo ./build.sh --branch kali-dev --variant netinst --arch arm64

To see every option, use ./build.sh --help, or check out the README. Want to customize the installer even further? Have a look at preseeding (we will get to this later!).

What’s Next?

We had hoped to refresh every build-script in time for this release, but we didn’t quite make it. We are aiming to have them ready for Kali 2026.4.

This marks the first milestone of refreshing the build-scripts. Next, we will look at automating builds and workflows. Finally, we will demonstrate different setups and customization options. Crawl, walk, run.

Desktop Updates

KDE Plasma 6.7

KDE Plasma has been updated to 6.7, bringing a variety of workflow and performance improvements to the Kali desktop. One of the most interesting additions is per-screen virtual desktops, particularly handy for multi-monitor setups where you may want to keep terminals, browsers, Burp, or documentation separated without changing the workspace on every display. Moving around those desktops is also quicker from the Overview, while support for additional Wayland protocols and portals continues to improve the experience on modern Linux setups.

Kali KDE plasma 6.7

Plasma 6.7 includes performance and power-usage optimizations, especially for integrated Intel GPUs and workloads involving multiple full-screen windows. Network connections can now be duplicated, which can save some time when working with several similar network configurations, and System Monitor has received further refinements.

For the full list of changes, make sure to check out the official KDE Plasma 6.7 announcement.

New Icons

Updating icons is an ongoing process, but we took some time to review our progress, and we are happy with the results. We have added icons to tools that previously had none and updated existing icons to make them easier to recognize in the applications menu and on kali.org/tools. Here is a preview of some of them:

Kali Tool’s Icons, 2026

New Tools in Kali

What would a Kali release be without new tools? Here is a quick rundown of the new tools available in the network repositories:

  • dalfox - Powerful open-source XSS scanner and utility focused on automation
  • katana - Next-generation crawling and spidering framework
  • qsreplace - Accept URLs on stdin, replace all query string values with a user-supplied value
  • rustscan - Modern port scanner
  • sdrangel - Qt-based SDR front-end for various devices
  • snaffler-ng - SMB share credential and sensitive data scanner

The 2026.3 release includes 126 package updates, including an update to the Kali kernel from 6.19 to 7.1.5!

Kali NetHunter Updates

This release addresses compatibility issues between modern systemd/udev and older kernels without requiring extensive patches. It also brings new features to the Kali NetHunter app and adds several kernels.

Wardriving On Your Wrist

Kali NetHunter TicWatch Pro 3

Go to absolute stealth mode with the Wardriving that’s now supported by the TicWatch Pro 3 series. It wouldn’t be possible without the awesome collaboration with Qazy Anwar who updated the libnexmonkali library so now you can use internal monitor mode on watch with tools in Kali chroot such as aircrack-ng suite, kismet, and more!

WearHunter

Thanks to the idea and hard work of @V0lk3n, you can now control your Kali NetHunter watch from your phone using ADB over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. You can run commands and install apps, with more features planned. WearHunter is currently experimental.

NFC Arsenal

NFC access to the Kali chroot is now possible thanks to @IamCOD3X. You can now read, clone, and edit Mifare classic cards without an external adapter!

KernelSU

KernelSU is now supported thanks to the work of @Loukious. You can install the generated installer zip in KernelSU app with patched kernel.

When Hacking Meets Tuners

Check out this incredible blend of car tuner and hacking culture. Christopher Wilson entered the Wardriver Project, his 2021 Honda Civic Type R, in the Cars and Cops car show in Altus, Oklahoma. Alongside showing the car, he showcased how technology, cybersecurity, and vehicles are coming together.

Kali NetHunter on Honda Civic Type R

Misc

  • TicWatch Pro 3 reboot is patched by @yesimxev
  • Initial support for devices with no ramdisk
  • The Bluetooth Arsenal airplane mode is now back! @MrR0b0X has also improved EvilTwin and Wardriving to make them easier to launch
  • Custom commands now support Nexmon monitor mode, as well as wifite
  • The crash triggered by the Kali NetHunter app’s storage request has been fixed, along with other bug fixes and performance improvements

New Kernels

Kali Website Updates

Following the menu changes in Kali 2025.2, we have applied the same category structure and icons to kali.org/tools. You can still switch to the Top 100 tools page if you prefer.

Kali Tool Subcategories

Kali Documentation

Our Kali documentation has 3 new pages, and 9 existing ones have been updated:

Community Shout-Outs

These community members helped Kali and the team during this release cycle, and we’d like to recognize their contributions. We believe in giving credit where it is due!

Kali Documentation:

Tool Documentation:

Kali NetHunter:

Packaging:

Anyone can lend a hand and get involved!

New Kali Mirrors

During this cycle, we welcomed 4 new mirrors, all in Europe!

If you have the disk space and bandwidth, we always welcome new mirrors.

Get Kali Linux 2026.3

Fresh Images: Ready to get started? Get Kali today!

We also provide weekly builds for those who don’t want to wait for the next point release. These images give you a more recent snapshot of Kali, so you may have fewer updates to install after setting up your system. Keep in mind that weekly builds are automated and do not go through the same QA process as our standard release images. We still welcome bug reports to help us identify and fix issues before the next release.

Existing Installs: Already running Kali Linux? Make sure your system is up to date with a quick update:

β”Œβ”€β”€(kaliγ‰Ώkali)-[~]
└─$ sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kali.sources << 'EOF'
Types: deb
URIs: http://http.kali.org/kali/
Suites: kali-rolling
Components: main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/kali-archive-keyring.gpg
EOF
[...]

β”Œβ”€β”€(kaliγ‰Ώkali)-[~]
└─$ sudo apt update && sudo apt -y full-upgrade
[...]

β”Œβ”€β”€(kaliγ‰Ώkali)-[~]
└─$ cp -vrbi /etc/skel/. ~/
[...]

β”Œβ”€β”€(kaliγ‰Ώkali)-[~]
└─$ [ -f /var/run/reboot-required ] && sudo reboot -f

You should now be on Kali Linux 2026.3. To check your installed version, run:

β”Œβ”€β”€(kaliγ‰Ώkali)-[~]
└─$ grep VERSION /etc/os-release
VERSION_ID="2026.3"
VERSION="2026.3"
VERSION_CODENAME=kali-rolling

β”Œβ”€β”€(kaliγ‰Ώkali)-[~]
└─$ uname -v
#1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Kali 7.1.5-1kali1 (2026-07-29)

β”Œβ”€β”€(kaliγ‰Ώkali)-[~]
└─$ uname -r
7.1.5+kali-amd64

NOTE: The output of uname -r may be different depending on the system architecture.

If you find any bugs in Kali, please report them on our bug tracker. We can’t fix what we don’t know is broken! And remember, social networks are not bug trackers!

Want an easier way to keep up to date? Here is how to follow the latest Kali news and releases.

Table of Contents