Install Kali Linux on VirtualBox (Mac & Windows)

Three Ways To Run Kali Linux

There are three main ways to run Kali Linux, each with tradeoffs:

• Virtual Machine (this guide): Run Kali alongside your main OS. Easy to set up, easy to revert with snapshots. Performance is limited by allocated resources.
• Bootable USB: Boot Kali from a USB stick on any computer. Portable but slower than installed-to-disk. See our USB install guide.
• Dual-boot or bare metal: Install Kali alongside or instead of your main OS. Best performance but more complex and risks data loss if done wrong.

For most people learning Kali — especially if you just want to try it out or use a few tools — a virtual machine is the right choice. This guide uses VirtualBox because it's free, well-supported, and the official Kali team provides pre-built VirtualBox images.

Why Use a Virtual Machine?

• Snapshots: Save the VM state and roll back if something breaks
• Isolation: Anything dangerous (malware analysis, exploit testing) stays inside the VM
• Multi-OS: Run Windows, macOS, and Linux on the same physical machine
• Resource control: Allocate exactly as much CPU, RAM, and storage as you need
• Portable: Export the VM and run it on any computer with VirtualBox installed

What You'll Need

• Host computer: macOS or Windows with at least 8GB RAM and 40GB free disk space (16GB+ RAM recommended)
• VirtualBox 7.x — free virtualization software
• VirtualBox Extension Pack — adds USB 3.0 support and other features
• Kali Linux VirtualBox image — pre-configured .ova or .7z file from kali.org

Step 1: Download & Install VirtualBox

For Mac (Intel)

1. Go to the VirtualBox download page
2. Click "macOS / Intel hosts"
3. Also download the Extension Pack (one universal pack for all platforms)
4. Open the downloaded .dmg and run the installer
5. Once installed, double-click the Extension Pack file to install it

For Mac (Apple Silicon — M1/M2/M3/M4)

1. Go to the VirtualBox download page
2. Click "macOS / ARM64" (this is the Apple Silicon version)
3. Download the Extension Pack
4. Install the .dmg, then the Extension Pack

For Windows

1. Download "Windows hosts" from the VirtualBox download page
2. Download the Extension Pack
3. Run the .exe installer (you may need to allow it in Windows Defender)
4. Double-click the Extension Pack to install

Step 2: Download the Kali Linux VirtualBox Image

The Kali team provides pre-built VirtualBox images that require zero configuration — just import and run.

1. Go to kali.org/get-kali/#kali-virtual-machines
2. Click VirtualBox
3. Choose your architecture:
   • amd64 — for Intel/AMD Mac and Windows PCs
   • ARM64 — for Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3/M4) and ARM-based Windows
4. Download the file (it's a .7z archive — about 3-4 GB)

Extract the .7z file

The downloaded file is compressed in 7-zip format. You'll need to extract it before importing.

On Windows, install 7-Zip, then right-click the file and choose 7-Zip → Extract Here.

After extraction, you'll have a folder containing:

• A .vbox file (VirtualBox configuration)
• A .vdi file (the virtual disk image)

Step 3: Add the Kali VM to VirtualBox

Older guides used File → Import Appliance for an .ova file. Modern Kali images use the more efficient Add method:

1. Open VirtualBox
2. Click Machine → Add (or press Cmd+A on Mac, Ctrl+A on Windows)
3. Navigate to the extracted folder and select the .vbox file
4. Click Open
5. The Kali VM appears in your VirtualBox manager

Optional: Adjust resources

Before starting the VM, you may want to give it more resources. Click the VM, then Settings:

• System → Motherboard: Set RAM to 4–8 GB (don't exceed half your physical RAM)
• System → Processor: Set CPUs to 2–4 cores
• Display → Screen: Set Video Memory to 128 MB and enable 3D acceleration
• USB: Enable USB 3.0 (xHCI) controller (requires Extension Pack)

Step 4: Start Kali Linux

Click the green Start arrow to boot the VM. After a few seconds, you'll see the Kali login screen.

Log in with the default credentials:

Once you're logged in, the first thing to do is update the system:

Updating is only the first step. For the full setup routine — changing the default password, setting up a firewall, installing tools, and making Kali comfortable to use — follow my guide to the 25 things to do after installing Kali Linux. If the terminal is new to you, the beginner commands guide covers everything you need.

Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) Specific Setup

Apple Silicon Macs require slightly different steps because they use the ARM64 architecture instead of x86/amd64.

Key differences:

• Use VirtualBox for ARM64 (version 7.1 or later — earlier versions don't support Apple Silicon)
• Download Kali Linux ARM64 image, not amd64
• The amd64 (Intel) Kali image will not boot on Apple Silicon
• Performance is generally good because there's no architecture translation

If you can't find ARM64 in VirtualBox version selector

When creating the VM manually, set:

• Type: Linux
• Subtype: Debian
• Version: Debian (ARM 64-bit) — not Debian (64-bit)

Installing Additional Kali Tools (Metapackages)

The default Kali VirtualBox image includes a curated set of tools. To install more, Kali uses "metapackages" — bundles of related tools. New to Kali? Start with the top 10 Kali Linux tools and keep our bash commands cheatsheet handy.

Controlling VMs from the Command-Line with VBoxManage

VirtualBox includes a CLI tool called VBoxManage for controlling VMs from the terminal. Useful for scripting or running headless instances.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Kernel driver not installed" on macOS

This is the most common error on macOS. Solution: Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Allow next to the Oracle/VirtualBox blocked extension message. Restart your Mac, then try again.

VM won't start: "VT-x is not available"

Your CPU's virtualization extensions are disabled in BIOS/UEFI. Reboot your computer, enter BIOS, and enable Intel VT-x (Intel) or AMD-V (AMD).

"Failed to import appliance" error

Usually means VirtualBox is too old for the image, or the .ova/.7z file is corrupted. Update to VirtualBox 7.x and re-download the image.

Internet doesn't work in the VM

Check VM Settings → Network. Adapter 1 should be set to NAT (default) or Bridged Adapter. NAT works for most cases. If using a USB WiFi adapter, see our WiFi adapter guide.

VM is extremely slow

Allocate more RAM (4–8 GB) and CPU cores (2–4) in Settings → System. Enable hardware acceleration (VT-x/AMD-V). Don't allocate more than half your host's resources or the host will become sluggish.