Sold by: KaliÂ
Deployed on AWS
AWS Free Tier
Kali Linux is an open-source, multi-platform distribution, aimed at advanced Penetration Testing and Security Auditing.
Kali Linux provides several hundred common tools and industry specific modifications, targeted towards various information security tasks, such as Penetration Testing, Security Research, Computer Forensics, Reverse Engineering, Vulnerability Management and Red Team Testing.
Overview
Kali Linux (formerly known as BackTrack Linux) is an open-source, Debian-based Linux distribution aimed at advanced Penetration Testing and Security Auditing. It does this by providing common tools, configurations, and automations which allows the user to focus on the task that needs to be completed, not the surrounding activity.
Kali Linux contains industry specific modifications as well as several hundred tools targeted towards various Information Security tasks, such as Penetration Testing, Security Research, Computer Forensics, Reverse Engineering, Vulnerability Management and Red Team Testing.
Kali Linux is a multi-platform solution, accessible and freely available to information security professionals and hobbyists.
Highlights
- Advanced penetration testing platform
- Hundreds of security tools
- Cloud-Init support for customized configuration
Details
Sold by
Categories
Delivery method
Delivery option
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Latest version
Operating system
OtherLinux 2025.1c
Deployed on AWS
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Features and programs
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Pricing
Pricing is based on actual usage, with charges varying according to how much you consume. Subscriptions have no end date and may be canceled any time.
Additional AWS infrastructure costs may apply. Use the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate your infrastructure costs.
Dimension | Cost/hour |
|---|---|
t2.medium Recommended | $0.00 |
t2.micro AWS Free Tier | $0.00 |
t3.micro AWS Free Tier | $0.00 |
m3.xlarge | $0.00 |
m5dn.2xlarge | $0.00 |
hs1.8xlarge | $0.00 |
u-24tb1.metal | $0.00 |
g4dn.2xlarge | $0.00 |
c5ad.xlarge | $0.00 |
cc2.8xlarge | $0.00 |
Vendor refund policy
This is a free product
Legal
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Upon subscribing to this product, you must acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the vendor's End User License Agreement (EULA)Â .
Content disclaimer
Vendors are responsible for their product descriptions and other product content. AWS does not warrant that vendors' product descriptions or other product content are accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free.
Delivery details
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
An AMI is a virtual image that provides the information required to launch an instance. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances are virtual servers on which you can run your applications and workloads, offering varying combinations of CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. You can launch as many instances from as many different AMIs as you need.
Version release notes
This listing is based on Kali Linux (2025.2 - rolling) AMD64
Release: 2025-06-13 Changelog: https://www.kali.org/blog/kali-linux-2025-2-release/Â
Credentials information: https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/default-credentials/Â
For more information about upgrading, please see: https://www.kali.org/docs/general-use/updating-kali/Â
Additional details
Usage instructions
Once your instance is running, connect to it with your SSH private key using the "kali" account. For more information, please see: https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/default-credentials/Â
For more information about our AWS cloud image, please see: https://www.kali.org/docs/cloud/aws/Â
If you are performing penetration testing, please refer to the AWS Testing Request for more information: https://aws.amazon.com/security/penetration-testing/Â
Resources
Vendor resources
Support
Vendor support
Kali's Community:
AWS infrastructure support
AWS Support is a one-on-one, fast-response support channel that is staffed 24x7x365 with experienced and technical support engineers. The service helps customers of all sizes and technical abilities to successfully utilize the products and features provided by Amazon Web Services.
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Kali Linux is an open-source, multi-platform distribution, aimed at advanced Penetration Testing and Security Auditing.
Kali Linux provides several hundred common tools and industry specific modifications, targeted towards various information security tasks, such as Penetration Testing, Security Research, Computer Forensics, Reverse Engineering, Vulnerability Management and Red Team Testing.
Kali Linux with support by AskforCloud LLC
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This product has charges associated with it for support.Kali Linux is an open-source, Debian-based Linux distribution geared towards various information security tasks, such as Penetration Testing, Security Research, Computer Forensics and Reverse Engineering.
Kali Linux 22.4 AMI with tools preloaded for pentesting and latest operating system and security patches applied.
This is a repackaged open source software product wherein additional charges apply for support by TechLatest.net. With this VM you will get the latest Kali based GUI Linux desktop environment up and running in minutes accessible via VNC client.
Customer reviews
3.3
23 ratings
23 AWS reviews
|
13 external reviews
Star ratings include only reviews from verified AWS customers. External reviews can also include a star rating, but star ratings from external reviews are not averaged in with the AWS customer star ratings.
Reaux
đź’ˇ For anyone still trying to figure out the correct SSH username:
Reviewed on Apr 14, 2025
Review from a verified AWS customer
Just adding to the conversation because this wasn’t smooth sailing for me either — but also, I’m a beginner.
When I first launched the AMI in us-east-1, I tried logging in with the username kali and it didn’t work. So I tried the other usual suspects: root, ec2-user, admin — nothing worked.
Eventually, after some trial and error (terminating the instance and starting fresh using the same key pair), I used root again and saw the message from the Kali devs saying that kali is the correct username. I tried it again — and this time it worked.
The first time I used root I didn’t get that message at all. The second time I did. No idea why kali didn’t work initially, or why I didn’t get the dev message the first time. Maybe the instance wasn’t fully initialized yet, maybe I made a typo, maybe it’s just AWS being AWS.
If you’re hitting the same wall, don’t assume you’re doing something wrong — it might just take a few tries. It may have absolutely nothing to do with whether you “read the instructions.” I read them too. Still had issues.
✅ Try terminating the instance and launching a fresh one. That’s what finally worked for me.
Just keep troubleshooting. You’ll get in. 💻🔥
dave
Doesn't come with standard PenTest tools
Reviewed on Mar 27, 2025
Review from a verified AWS customer
The people that are complaining about not being able to SSH in to the server really shouldn't be using a penTest tool. Follow the instructions people!
My issue is that the OS did not come with Nikto or Metasploit. I had to change the repo list and install it myself. The whole point of Kali is that it comes with hundreds of these tools pre-installed...
dmcg
does what its supposed to
Reviewed on Feb 27, 2025
Review from a verified AWS customer
people complaining about ssh are just silly. I am able to ssh no problem to this and i have rolled out many
Jack
Works well
Reviewed on Aug 23, 2024
Review from a verified AWS customer
I suspect the people marking this 1 star did not read the instructions and see the user required is kali not root or ec2-user.
GurpreetSingh4
Has small footprint and low maintenance cycles
Reviewed on Jun 03, 2024
Review provided by PeerSpot
What is our primary use case?
In general, Kali Linux is used for hosting applications, developing new applications, and operating systems. It's also used in containers and nodes. The tool offers a smaller footprint than Windows because it lacks the functionality of graphical user interfaces. One advantage of Kali Linux is its lower maintenance requirements than Windows, with slower update cycles and easier maintenance procedures.
What is most valuable?
The tool's most valuable features are low maintenance and stability.Â
What needs improvement?
The tool is already stable and well-developed, so there's minimal feedback for enhancement or change. However, it should improve security, which is crucial, especially with the increasing use of Kali Linux in cloud environments.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for a few months.Â
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool's stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Kali Linux is scalable and has a smaller footprint. It can be run on multiple instances of your applications.
How are customer service and support?
We have community support. I haven't faced any problems with support.Â
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is quick and straightforward compared to Windows. It takes about five to ten minutes to complete.Â
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Kali Linux offers a perpetual license, meaning you pay for it once and can use it. While free versions of Linux are available, Kali Linux, being an enterprise edition, usually comes with a perpetual license. I rate its pricing a five out of ten.Â
What other advice do I have?
Pre-installed tools can provide basic training and security measures, which is helpful. However, these tools may not be sufficient to secure your workload fully. That's why it's important to complement them with other specialized security tools to enhance your overall security.
Before using Kali Linux, make sure you know its pros and cons. It's a good system to learn because it's the best choice for some situations. It has default firewall settings that block everything by default. It's up to the user to decide how much they want to open up.    Â
Learning Kali Linux takes time because it relies on command-line tasks instead of graphical interfaces. Practice is key to becoming comfortable with it.