Kali Linux 2021.4 Release: Improved Samba Compatibility

Offensive Security has released the fourth point version of Kali Linux 2021 series, Kali Linux 2021.4, with a number of exciting new penetration testing tools and several improvements.

Kali Linux 2021.4 brings a number of improvements, such as improved Samba compatibility, enhanced Apple M1 support, ability to switch package manager mirrors, Kaboxer theming, coupled with updates to Xfce, GNOME and KDE desktop environments.

It also support the VMware Fusion Public Tech Preview thanks to having kernel 5.14 with the modules needed for the virtual GPU.

What's New In Kali Linux 2021.4 release?

Kali Linux 2021.4 has the Samba client configured for Wide Compatibility so that it can easily connect to any Samba server, regardless of the version of the protocol in use. It should make it easier to discover vulnerable Samba servers, without having to configure Kali.

With the latest update of Kaboxer tools, Kali Linux 2021.4 brings support for window themes and icon themes, allowing the program to properly integrate with the rest of the desktop without the usage of ugly fallback themes. Below is a quick run down of what’s been added to Kali Linux 2021.4:

Dufflebag - Search exposed EBS volumes for secrets
Maryam - Open-source Intelligence (OSINT) Framework
Name-That-Hash - Do not know what type of hash it is? Name That Hash will name that hash type!
Proxmark3 - if you are into Proxmark3 and RFID
Reverse Proxy Grapher - graphviz graph illustrating your reverse proxy flow
S3Scanner - Scan for open S3 buckets and dump the contents
Spraykatz - Credentials gathering tool automating remote procdump and parse of lsass process
truffleHog - Searches through git repositories for high entropy strings and secrets, digging deep into commit history
Web of trust grapher (wotmate) - reimplement the defunct PGP pathfinder without needing anything other than your own keyring

Additionally, the NetHunter app now includes The Social-Engineer Toolkit, which can be used to customize Facebook, Messenger, or Twitter direct message for social engineering attacks.

How to Upgrade to Kali Linux 2021.4 Release?

For existing users who are using the previous version of Kali Linux, they can simply run the following command to upgrade their system to the latest Kali Linux 2021.4:

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

And for a fresh installation from scratch, you can download the ISO image from the official page for the different supported versions and systems.