Offensive Security has launched Kali Linux 2023.1, which marks the project’s 10th anniversary and is the first version of 2023. The release features a new distribution known as ‘Kali Purple,’ targeting blue and purple teamers for defensive security.
Kali Purple is currently in its technical preview pre-launch phase and will require time to mature. Kali Purple is designed to be a one-stop-shop for blue and purple teams, offering accessibility and enterprise-grade security to everyone without requiring expensive licenses or commercial-grade infrastructure.
Kali Purple will start as a PoC and evolve into a framework, then a platform, much like Kali Linux today.
Kali Purple comes equipped with a reference architecture for the ultimate SOC In-A-Box, making it perfect for learning, practicing SOC analysis and threat hunting, security control design and testing, blue/red/purple teaming exercises, and Kali spy vs. spy competitions.
Kali Purple also offers over 100 defensive tools, including full packet capture and analysis, the cyber-Swiss army knife, security information and event management, vulnerability scanning, incident response platforms, network traffic analysis tool suites, and intrusion detection systems.
Kali Purple includes defensive tool documentation, pre-generated images, and Kali Autopilot, an attack script builder and framework for automated attacks. It also offers a Kali Purple Hub for the community to share practice pcaps, Kali Autopilot scripts for blue teaming exercises, and a community Wiki.
The defensive menu structure follows the NIST Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity guidelines for identifying, protecting, detecting, responding, and recovering from cybersecurity incidents.
Kali Purple includes Discord channels for community collaboration and fun, as well as a custom theme for the installer, menu entries, and Xfce.
Feature Sets
Kali Linux Team has introduced several improvements and new features with this new release, and it includes:-
- Kali Purple for Blue Teams
- Kali Purple for Purple Teams
- Addition of 8 new tools
- Xfce 4.18
- KDE Plasma 5.27
- Warning about Python changes
- New wallpapers for desktop
- New wallpapers for login
- New wallpapers for boot displays
- New variants of all the themes.
- Default Kernel Settings
- Improved support for UI scaling
- Thunar
- File color highlight
- Recursive search
- Split view
- Panel profiles with import/export functionality
- New tiling system
New Tool Sets
Offensive Security has also updated numerous packages and added new libraries in the latest release of Kali. Additionally, they have upgraded the Kali kernel to version 6.1.
You can download Kali Linux 2023.1 from the following link if you’d like to have the most recent version.
The following commands can be used if you have already installed Kali Linux on your computer and would like to perform a quick update:-
To upgrade:
To Check the Version:
Here we have included the notable upgrades of Kali 2023.1. The full changelog is available on Kali’s website.
The changelog summary for Kali 2023.1 includes:
- Kali Purple, which marks the dawn of a new era. Kali is not only an offensive tool but also starting to be defensive.
- Python changes include Python 3.11 and PIP changes going forward.
- The 2023 Theme update includes a once-a-year theme update, with this time featuring what’s old is new again.
- Desktop updates feature Xfce 4.18 and KDE Plasma 5.27.
- Default Kernel Settings update includes what makes the Kali kernel different.
- New tools to the arsenal
