What is Kali Undercover and how can it be installed on Linux?

Imagine being able to use Kali Linux, your favorite operating system for permeability testing, in a public place. You certainly do not want anyone to notice or suspect you when you are scanning the network through the terminal.

Offensive Security, the company that updates and supports Kali Linux, has come up with a quick fix. Cali undercover mode can change the look of your desktop to make it look like a traditional Windows system (a system familiar to most people).

In this article from Zomit, you will learn more about Kali Undercover, how to use it and the steps to install it on the Linux operating system.

What is Kali Undercover?

Kali Undercover is a collection of scripts that change the appearance of the default Xfce desktop in Kali Linux. This script applies a Windows-like theme to the system so that people are not distracted when working in public places.

Switching to Undercover mode is easy. Simply open the terminal and say “kali-undercover » Type.

When the script starts to change the fonts, icons and page layout, the transfer and change starts. It takes less than five seconds to transfer the script from Xfce to the fake Windows desktop.

To return to the default desktop environment, kali-undercover Type in the terminal.

Why should we use Kali Undercover?

The main goal of the Kali-Undercover development was to enable cybersecurity professionals to work easily in public places. A major part of a penetration tester’s job is to find potential vulnerabilities by hacking the client network. Doing so requires secrecy; So if random people take a look at the suspicious Kali desktop environment, it may affect their work. This is where Kali Undercover comes into play.

To hide the operating system you are using, you can quickly switch between two desktops if needed. You should note that if someone takes a closer look at the desktop, they will most likely find that the operating system you are using is not Windows.

How to install Kali Undercover on Linux

The kali-undercover script is already installed on Kali Linux; But that does not mean that you can not use the secret mode while using other Linux distributions. Anyone can install the script on their system, as long as they use the Xfce desktop environment.

Install Kali Undercover on Debian / Ubuntu

If you are using a Debian-based operating system such as Ubuntu or Linux Mint, all you have to do is download the DEB kali-undercover package from the official Kali repository.

Download: Kali Undercover

Using the command cd / Downloads Go to the Downloads directory.

Closed DEB kali-undercover Using dpkg as sudo dpkg -i kali-undercover_x.x.x_all.deb Install.

You can also install the package graphically by running the downloaded file. In Ubuntu, double-clicking on a file opens the software installation window. Then you can install the script on Install click.

Install the script on other Linux distributions

In other Linux distributions, you can download the script using its git repository:

Using the command cd kali-undercover Navigate to the newly created folder.

By order sudo cp -r share / usr Share files in directory / directoryusr/ Copy. This folder contains all Windows theme accessories such as icons, fonts and wallpapers.

Finally the kali-undercover binary form sudo cp / bin / kali-undercover / usr / bin Copy to / usr / bin folder.

Remove the script from the system

If you want to remove the script from your system, you have to delete all the files related to kali-undercover using the command rm Delete. To start the binary with the command sudo rm / usr / bin / kali-undercover Delete from / usr / bin folder.

Then, delete the Windows icons and themes with the following command:

Finally, delete the kali-undercover desktop file and sharing folder using the rm command:

Hide with Kali Linux

In addition to Kali Undercover, the Linux operating system has a myriad of scripts and command line tools. You can be sure that Kali Linux has everything you need for network analysis, vulnerability detection, or anything else related to cybersecurity.

If you are still unsure about the change, first install Kali Linux on a hypervisor. Virtual machine software such as VirtualBox can give you the best experience without compromising device performance.

We hope you find this tutorial useful. If you have experience installing and working with Kali Undercover, share it with us and Zomit users.