Kali Linux 2025.3 brings improved virtual machine tooling, 10 new tools

OffSec has released Kali Linux 2025.3, the most up-to-date version of its popular penetration testing and digital forensics platform.

What’s new in Kali Linux 2025.3

Better virtual machine tooling

The way Kali builds and ships its VM images has been updated, they improved their scripts and workflows to be more consistent and easier to manage. 

Nexmon Wi-Fi support

Nexmon is a firmware patch that allows users to enable monitor mode (packet sniffing) and packet injection on certain wireless chips. With this release, Kali brings back Nexmon support for more devices, especially Raspberry Pi models (including Pi 5). 

10 new tools

New versions of Kali deliver updates for available packages, but also new tools:

• Caido and Caido-cli – the client and the server section of caido desktop, a web security auditing toolkit
• Detect It Easy (DiE) – A tool for identifying file types
• Gemini CLI – Open-source AI agent that brings Gemini directly into the terminal
• krbrelayx – A Kerberos relaying and unconstrained delegation abuse toolkit
• ligolo-mp – An advanced version of Ligolo-ng that enables pentesters to play with multiple concurrent tunnels collaboratively
• llm-tools-nmap – Enables LLMs to perform network discovery and security scanning tasks with nmap
• mcp-kali-server – An MCP configuration to connect AI agents to Kali
• patchleaks – A tool for comparing two versions of a code‑base. It highlights changes and explain why they matter, thus quickly pinpointing security fixes
• vwifi-dkms – A tool for setting up “dummy” Wi-Fi networks, establishing connections, and disconnecting from them

Additional tweaks

The NetHunter (mobile penetration testing) and CARsenal (car hacking) toolkits have been updated and improved, support for ARMel architecture has been dropped, and OffSec has made Xfce’s VPN-IP panel plugin configurable to make life easier for users.

Kali Linux 2025.3 is available for download here.

Must read:

• 35 open-source security tools to power your red team, SOC, and cloud security
• GitHub CISO on security strategy and collaborating with the open-source community

Subscribe to the Help Net Security ad-free monthly newsletter to stay informed on the essential open-source cybersecurity tools. Subscribe here!