Kali Linux

First Install - Virtual Machine

Create a new Virtual Machine in VMWare with preferred specs:
- Processors: 1 CPU - 2 Cores
- RAM Memory: 4 GB
- Hard Disk: 40 GB
- CD: use the Kali Installer .iso image file - Download here - and check Connect at power on
- Network: set it as NAT
Boot the virtual machine and proceed with the Kali Installation

First Boot & Update

Boot Kali Linux
Open the Terminal and run the command

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y

full-upgrade performs the function of upgrade but will remove currently installed packages if this is needed to upgrade the system as a whole.
This command will upgrade the system to the latest Kali version.
Tips from the Updating Kali post:
❗ You should be checking for updates every few weeks
📌 A good practice is that you ensure all tools work before an engagement and during that engagement you should not update

Reboot the system

reboot

Customize Kali and finish off the setup using kali-tweaks

kali-tweaks

zshell alias - Update packages

nano ~/.zshrc

Append the following text with the necessary commands to update all packages:

# Upgrade all packages and remove unused packages

alias updateos='sudo -- sh -c "sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade && sudo apt -y autoremove"'

Download and add hacking platforms .ovpn files and set up OpenVpn aliases

mkdir htb tcm pwnx
# Copy every .ovpn file in the respective dir

# OpenVpn Aliases
alias htbvpn='sudo openvpn --config ~/htb/htb.ovpn --daemon'        # HTB FREE VPN
alias htbvipvpn='sudo openvpn --config ~/htb/htbvip.ovpn --daemon'  # HTB VIP VPN
alias thmvpn='sudo openvpn --config ~/thm/thm.ovpn --daemon'
alias pwnxvpn='sudo openvpn --config ~/pwnx/pwnx.ovpn --daemon'
alias killopenvpn='sudo pkill openvpn'

Save and exit.
Reload the zshell configuration:

source ~/.zshrc

Test the command

updateos

Configurations

GRUB Timeout

Set the seconds in the GRUB_TIMEOUT value to 1

sudo sed -E '/^GRUB_TIMEOUT=/s/=(.*)/=1/' -i /etc/default/grub
sudo update-grub
reboot

# Or edit it manually
sudo nano /etc/default/grub

NTP

sudo apt install -y chrony
sudo systemctl enable --now chrony
sudo systemctl status chrony --no-pager
sudo timedatectl status

New SSH Keys

sudo /bin/rm -v /etc/ssh/ssh_host_*
sudo dpkg-reconfigure openssh-server
sudo systemctl restart ssh
ssh-keygen -t rsa

Zsh & Oh-My-Zsh

Follow the guide here to setup ZSH with Oh-My-Zsh - Zsh & Oh-My-Zsh - syselement

Tools

Basic Tools

Install basic tools

sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https btop curl duf eza flameshot gdu htop kali-wallpapers-all locate nano neofetch net-tools pipx speedtest-cli telegram-desktop terminator tor tree ugrep vlc wget

Terminator

sudo apt install -y terminator

From the Default Applications / Utilities menu, set terminator as the default terminal to use

sudo update-alternatives --config x-terminal-emulator

Set up your layout. CTRL+SHIFT+O and CTRL+SHIFT+E in my case.
- Terminator Shortcuts here
Go to Preferences - Global and set Window state to Maximized
Go to Preferences - Profiles - Background and set the Background transparency as you like.
Go to Preferences - Profiles - Scrolling and set the checkmark on Infinite Scrollback.
Go to Preferences - Layouts and click on Add button to create a new layout and give it a name.
This should create the ~/.config/terminator/config file.
Now you can start terminator using the saved layout using:

terminator -l <yourLayout>

Edit the ~/.config/terminator/config file, rename yourLayout to default and remove/rename the previous default layout. Now, when Terminator starts without any parameters, it will load your custom [[default]] layout!
- Edit the [[[terminalx]]]/ command = neofetch;zsh for the desired terminal, so that it will run your custom command during startup!!

nano ~/.config/terminator/config

[global_config]
  window_state = maximise
  suppress_multiple_term_dialog = True
[keybindings]
[profiles]
  [[default]]
    background_darkness = 0.99
    background_type = transparent
    scrollback_infinite = True
    palette = "#1f2229:#d41919:#5ebdab:#fea44c:#367bf0:#9755b3:#49aee6:#e6e6e6:#198388:#ec0101:#47d4b9:#ff8a18:#277fff:#962ac3:#05a1f7:#ffffff"
    use_theme_colors = True
    title_transmit_bg_color = "#1c71d8"
    title_receive_bg_color = "#3584e4"
[layouts]
#  [[default]]
#    [[[window0]]]
#      type = Window
#      parent = ""
#    [[[child1]]]
#      type = Terminal
#      parent = window0
#      profile = default
  [[default]]
    [[[child0]]]
      type = Window
      parent = ""
      order = 0
      position = 0:35
      maximised = True
      fullscreen = False
      size = 2550, 1529
      title = syselement@syskali: ~
      last_active_term = bad1ac94-7015-4914-b44a-dbeb25a78357
      last_active_window = True
    [[[child1]]]
      type = VPaned
      parent = child0
      order = 0
      position = 762
      ratio = 0.5
    [[[terminal2]]]
      type = Terminal
      parent = child1
      order = 0
      profile = default
      uuid = bad1ac94-7015-4914-b44a-dbeb25a78357
      command = neofetch;zsh
    [[[child3]]]
      type = HPaned
      parent = child1
      order = 1
      position = 1272
      ratio = 0.499803536345776
    [[[terminal4]]]
      type = Terminal
      parent = child3
      order = 0
      profile = default
      uuid = f9bdedfc-607c-4975-abaa-7c64fc7076b2
    [[[terminal5]]]
      type = Terminal
      parent = child3
      order = 1
      profile = default
      uuid = e7f2289c-ce5b-4b54-ba1c-59cdad3b77c3
[plugins]

CTRL+ALT+T is a keyboard shortcut already configured in Kali. It should open the terminator with your configured layout.

Sublime

sudo sh -c '
    wget -qO- https://download.sublimetext.com/sublimehq-pub.gpg | gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/sublimehq-archive.gpg &&
    echo "deb [arch="$(dpkg --print-architecture)" signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/sublimehq-archive.gpg] https://download.sublimetext.com/ apt/stable/" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sublime-text.list &&
    apt update &&
    apt install -y sublime-text
'

Run it with subl command.

Brave

sudo sh -c '
    apt install -y curl
    curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg
    echo "deb [arch="$(dpkg --print-architecture)" signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
    apt update && apt install -y brave-browser
'

Github Desktop

wget -qO - https://apt.packages.shiftkey.dev/gpg.key | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/shiftkey-packages.gpg > /dev/null

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/shiftkey-packages.gpg] https://apt.packages.shiftkey.dev/ubuntu/ any main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/shiftkey-packages.list'

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y github-desktop

VS Codium

wget https://gitlab.com/paulcarroty/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/raw/master/pub.gpg && sudo mv pub.gpg /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium-archive-keyring.asc

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [ signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/vscodium-archive-keyring.asc ] https://paulcarroty.gitlab.io/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/debs vscodium main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscodium.list'

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y codium

Docker

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y curl apt-transport-https software-properties-common ca-certificates gnupg

packages=("docker.io" "docker-doc" "docker-compose" "podman-docker" "containerd" "runc")
for pkg in "${packages[@]}"; do
    sudo apt remove "$pkg" -y
done &&

sudo sh -c '
    curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/gpg | gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker.gpg &&
    chmod a+r /usr/share/keyrings/docker.gpg &&
    echo "deb [arch="$(dpkg --print-architecture)" signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/debian bullseye stable" |  tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list &&
    apt update && 
    apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin &&
    sudo gpasswd -a "${USER}" docker
'

Offensive Sec Tools

Searchsploit

sudo apt update && sudo apt -y install exploitdb

searchsploit -u

pimpmykali

Kali Linux Fixes for Newly Imported VM's
❗ Read docs before running it! It may contains mods that you do not want.

cd /opt
sudo rm -rf pimpmykali/
sudo git clone https://github.com/Dewalt-arch/pimpmykali

sudo /opt/pimpmykali/pimpmykali.sh

# For a new kali vm, run menu option N

AutoRecon

AutoRecon is a multi-threaded network reconnaissance tool which performs automated enumeration of services. It is intended as a time-saving tool for use in CTFs and other penetration testing environments (e.g. OSCP). It may also be useful in real-world engagements.

sudo apt update

sudo apt install -y python3 python3-pip seclists curl dnsrecon enum4linux feroxbuster gobuster impacket-scripts nbtscan nikto nmap onesixtyone oscanner redis-tools smbclient smbmap snmp sslscan sipvicious tnscmd10g whatweb wkhtmltopdf

sudo apt install -y python3-venv
python3 -m pip install --user pipx
python3 -m pip install --upgrade pipx
python3 -m pipx ensurepath
source ~/.zshrc
#source ~/.bashrc

pipx install git+https://github.com/Tib3rius/AutoRecon.git

mkdir -p ~/scans/autorecon

cd ~/scans/autorecon
autorecon <TARGET-IP>

# ./results/target Directory Structure
.
├── exploit/
├── loot/
├── report/
│   ├── local.txt
│   ├── notes.txt
│   ├── proof.txt
│   └── screenshots/
└── scans/
	├── _commands.log
	├── _manual_commands.txt
	├── tcp80/
	├── udp53/
	└── xml/

pwntools

Pwntools is a CTF framework and exploit development library. Written in Python, it is designed for rapid prototyping and development, and intended to make exploit writing as simple as possible.

sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-dev git libssl-dev libffi-dev build-essential
python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
python3 -m pip install --upgrade pwntools

Katana

A next-generation crawling and spidering framework

sudo apt install -y golang

go install github.com/projectdiscovery/katana/cmd/katana@latest

sudo cp ~/go/bin/katana /bin/

katana -u <URL>

PreviousLinux Distros NextParrotOS- VM

Last updated 23 days ago

syselement's Blog

Kali Linux - VM

First Install - Virtual Machine

First Boot & Update

zshell alias - Update packages

Configurations

GRUB Timeout

NTP

New SSH Keys

Zsh & Oh-My-Zsh

Tools

Basic Tools

Terminator

Sublime

Brave

Github Desktop

VS Codium

Docker

Offensive Sec Tools

Searchsploit

pimpmykali

AutoRecon

pwntools

Katana