- The installation scripts and provided tools may have bugs, be vulnerable to Man in the Middle (MitM) attacks or other vulnerabilities.
- Adding additional repositories or tools for installing software extends your trust to those tool providers.
- Please keep in mind that using such a VM or VM's based on the template for security and privacy critical tasks is not recommended.
- Kali Linux distribution is a rolling distribution based constantly on Debian testing release, so it always will have newer software base than available in Qubes OS debian template. Keep in mind that it may result in problems (especially in regard to package dependency) not covered by this tutorial.
## Qubes 3.2
### How to Create a Kali Linux VM
This guide is being created to give guidance on ways in which you could create a [Kali Linux][kali] penetration testing VM (qube) in Qubes OS.
Kali Linux is the most widely used penetration testing Linux distribution.
There are multiple ways to create a Kali Linux VM:
1. Create a HVM and use the official ISO to install the system or convert a [Virtual Image][kali-vbox]. Explained [here](#hvm3_2).
2. Clone the Qubes OS latest Debian template image and turn it into a Kali Linux distribution:
- using [katoolin]. Explained [here](#katoolin3_2).
4. Check the name of currently used repository in `/etc/apt/sources.list` and current testing [Debian release][Debian-releases]. Update repository list accordingly
[user@kali ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/<currentstable>/<currenttesting>/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
[user@kali ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/<currentstable>/<currenttesting>/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r<X>.list
e.g. in this example we update `stretch` stable repository to `buster` testing repository
[user@kali ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/stretch/buster/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
[user@kali ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/stretch/buster/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r<X>.list
5. Upgrade `kali` template to latest Debian testing release
[user@kali ~]$ sudo apt-get update
[user@kali ~]$ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
[user@kali ~]$ sudo apt-get autoremove
**Note:** During execution of a `dist-upgrade` command read carefully list of packages to be removed.
If it contains `qubes-*` packages, terminate operation and try to resolve `qubes-*` packages missing dependencies first.
6. Install Katoolin and add Kali Linux repositories
2. Start, update and close your latest Debian template
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-start debian-<X>
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-run -a debian-<X> gnome-terminal
[user@debian-<X> ~]$ sudo apt-get update
[user@debian-<X> ~]$ sudo apt-get upgrade
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-shutdown debian-<X>
3. Clone `debian-X` template
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-clone debian-<X> kali-rolling
4. Check the name of currently used repository in `/etc/apt/sources.list` and current testing [Debian release][Debian-releases]. Update repository list accordingly
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/<currentstable>/<currenttesting>/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/<currentstable>/<currenttesting>/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r<X>.list
e.g. in this example we update `stretch` stable repository to `buster` testing repository
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/stretch/buster/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/stretch/buster/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r<X>.list
5. Upgrade `kali-rolling` template to latest Debian testing release
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo apt-get update
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo apt-get autoremove
**Note:** During execution of a `dist-upgrade` command read carefully list of packages to be removed. If it contains `qubes-*` packages, terminate operation and try to resolve `qubes-*` packages missing dependencies first.
6. Copy the Kali GPG key from the DispVM to the new template:
10. Ensure a terminal can be opened in the new template.
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-run -a kali-rolling gnome-terminal
#### Install the Kali tools
At this point you should have a working template and you can install the tools you need.
1. [Resize the template disk image][qubes-resize-disk-image] if you plan on installing the full Kali distribution. For example to install `kali-linux-full` you must **grow** the size of the VM system from 10GB to at least 20GB.
4. Check the name of currently used repository in `/etc/apt/sources.list` and current testing [Debian release][Debian-releases]. Update repository list accordingly.
[user@kali ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/<currentstable>/<currenttesting>/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
[user@kali ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/<currentstable>/<currenttesting>/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r<X>.list
e.g. in this example we update `stretch` stable repository to `buster` testing repository
[user@kali ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/stretch/buster/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
[user@kali ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/stretch/buster/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r<X>.list
For installation based on Debian 10 stable, please note that the security repository of Debian testing has [recently been renamed][Debian-security-naming-convention] from `<current testing>/update` to `<current-testing>-security`. To account for that change, execute the following command.
2. Start, update and close your latest Debian template
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-start debian-<X>
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-run -a debian-<X> gnome-terminal
[user@debian-<X> ~]$ sudo apt-get update
[user@debian-<X> ~]$ sudo apt-get upgrade
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-shutdown debian-<X>
3. Clone `debian-X` template
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-clone debian-<X> kali-rolling
4. Check the name of currently used repository in `/etc/apt/sources.list` and current testing [Debian release][Debian-releases]. Update repository list accordingly
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/<currentstable>/<currenttesting>/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/<currentstable>/<currenttesting>/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r<X>.list
e.g. in this example we update `stretch` stable repository to `buster` testing repository
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/stretch/buster/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/stretch/buster/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r<X>.list
For installation based on Debian 10 stable, please note that the security repository of Debian testing has [recently been renamed][Debian-security-naming-convention] from `<current testing>/update` to `<current-testing>-security`. To account for that change, execute the following command.
[user@kali ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/bullseye\/updates/bullseye-security/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
5. Upgrade `kali-rolling` template to latest Debian testing release
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo apt-get update
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo apt-get autoremove
**Note:** During execution of a `dist-upgrade` command read carefully list of packages to be removed. If it contains `qubes-*` packages, terminate operation and try to resolve `qubes-*` packages missing dependencies first.
6. Copy the Kali GPG key from the DispVM to the new template:
[user@xxxx-dvm ~]$ qvm-copy kali-key.asc
The DispVM can now be turned off.
7. Add the Kali GPG key to the list of keys trusted to authenticate packages:
deb http://http.kali.org/kali kali-rolling main non-free contrib
EOF
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo apt-get update
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
[user@kali-rolling ~]$ sudo apt-get autoremove
9. Ensure a terminal can be opened in the new template.
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-run -a kali-rolling gnome-terminal
#### Install the Kali tools
At this point you should have a working template and you can install the tools you need.
1. [Resize the template disk image][qubes-resize-disk-image] if you plan on installing the full Kali distribution. For example to install `kali-linux-full` you must **grow** the size of the VM system from 10GB to at least 20GB.
