Cybersecurity professionals and researchers can now launch Kali Linux in a virtualized container on macOS Sequoia utilizing Apple’s new containerization framework.
Throughout WWDC 2025, Apple introduced a brand new containerization framework that enables Apple Silicon {hardware} to run remoted Linux distros in its virtualized surroundings, just like Microsoft Home windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2).
To get began, customers on macOS Sequoia with Apple Silicon can set up the container CLI by way of Homebrew and initialize Apple’s container framework:
brew set up --cask container
container system beginYou may then launch Kali Linux utilizing the next command, which hundreds the container from the DockerHub container library and executes inside a macOS VM.
container run --rm -it kalilinux/kali-rollingYou too can use a container to mount an area listing into the Kali VM with a command like:
container run --remove --interactive --tty --volume $(pwd):/mnt --workdir /mnt docker.io/kalilinux/kali-rolling:newestThis command means that you can entry information on the host machine from throughout the container.
Nevertheless, there are some limitations to the brand new function, because it’s solely obtainable on Apple Silicon and doesn’t help Intel Macs.
Additionally, the Kali staff experiences that there are some bugs with the brand new implementation round networking.
“At the moment there are a few recognized limitations of Containerization, particularly utilizing macOS “Sequoia” 15, resembling container’s community entry not getting an IP tackle or no community entry,” reads Kali’s announcement.
“We advocate studying and following Apple’s recommendation if you happen to run into these points.”
Cybersecurity skilled Taha Ex additionally warns that some Kali use circumstances that require {hardware} passthrough is not going to work as a result of container being remoted from {hardware}.
The power to shortly launch Kali Linux in macOS, even when in a virtualized surroundings, and with some limitations, makes it simpler for Mac customers to carry out safety testing.
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