Security experts and ethical hackers can now run Kali Linux inside a virtualized container on macOS Sequoia, thanks to Apple’s newly introduced containerization technology.
Unveiled at WWDC 2025, Apple’s new framework allows users with Apple Silicon Macs to run isolated Linux distributions in a virtual environment—similar in concept to Microsoft’s WSL2 on Windows.
To use this feature, macOS Sequoia users with Apple Silicon can install the container CLI tool via Homebrew:
After setup, Kali Linux can be launched using:
For accessing files from your macOS filesystem within the Kali container, you can use:
This mounts your current directory into the container, allowing file interaction between the host and Kali environment.
There are, however, some constraints. This feature only works on Apple Silicon Macs and isn’t supported on Intel-based models. Additionally, there are reported issues with networking—such as containers not receiving an IP address—especially under macOS Sequoia 15.
The Kali team advises users to consult Apple’s documentation if they encounter network-related problems. Furthermore, because the container runs in an isolated environment, use cases requiring direct hardware access may not function as expected.
Despite these limitations, this development provides macOS users with a convenient way to run Kali Linux for penetration testing and cybersecurity work within Apple’s ecosystem.
