Kali Linux 2018.1, the first of the many versions of Kali Linux for this year is now available. This release contains all the updates and bug fixes since the last version 2017.3, released in November 2017.
The 2018.1 version is boosted by the new Linux 4.14.12 kernel. This brings in an added support for newer hardware and an improved performance. This means, ethical hackers and penetration testers can now use Kali in a more efficient manner to enhance security.
The release also has two exceptional features which include,
- AMD Secure Memory Encryption, a new feature in the AMD processors that enables automatic encryption and decryption of DRAM. The addition of this feature means that systems will no longer be vulnerable to cold-boot attacks because, even with physical access, the memory will be not be readable.
- Increased Memory Limits – This release also includes a support for 5-level paging, a new feature of the upcoming processors. These new processors will support 4 PB (petabytes) of physical memory and 128 PB of virtual memory.
Several packages including zaproxy, secure-socket-funneling, pixiewps, seclists, burpsuite, dbeaver, and reaver have been updated in Kali 2018.1. Also, for those using Hyper-V to run Kali virtual machines provided by Offensive Security, the Hyper-V virtual machine is now generation 2. This means, the Hyper-V VM is now UEFI-based and supports expanding/shrinking of HDD. The generation 2 also includes Hyper-V integration services, which supports Dynamic Memory, Network Monitoring/Scaling, and Replication.
Know more about Kali’s latest release on the Kali Linux Blog.
