Overview
Kali Linux 2026.3, the distribution's third release of the year, landed on October 26, 2026. It includes 126 package updates, six new tools and desktop and build-system changes.
New Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Dalfox | Automated cross-site scripting scanner with parameter analysis |
| Katana | Web application crawling and spidering framework |
| Qsreplace | Replaces query string values in URLs read from stdin |
| Rustscan | Fast Rust port scanner that can hand results to Nmap |
| SDRangel | Qt-based software-defined radio front end (RTL-SDR, BladeRF, HackRF) |
| Snaffler-ng | Hunts credentials and sensitive files across SMB shares |
The tools are in Kali's network repositories; the announcement does not say they are installed by default.
Other Changes
- Kernel moves from 6.19 to 7.1.5.
- KDE Plasma 6.7 desktop.
- Official Kali images can now be built inside Docker or Podman. The team aimed to refresh every build script but deferred the remainder to 2026.4.
- NetHunter gains smartwatch wardriving, wider device support and NFC research improvements.
Upgrading
Existing Kali Rolling installs do not need a clean install. Upgrade through the official APT repositories:
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y