How to Install and Run Mimikatz on Kali Linux (Step-by-Step)

When a Red Team gains access to a target network, the next step is usually collecting credentials and expanding access. On Windows-based environments, one of the most practical tools for post-exploitation is Mimikatz. This powerful utility helps security professionals extract passwords, hashes, and Kerberos tickets directly from memory. In the following sections, I’ll walk you through installing Mimikatz on Kali Linux. I will also explain using it the way Red Teamers normally do during their assessments.

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What is Mimikatz?

You’ve probably heard the name Mimikatz at some point if you’ve worked with Windows security tools. It started as a small side project by Benjamin Delpy. Over time, it turned into one of those utilities that almost everyone in the security world ends up using. It is interesting because it can pull sensitive authentication data out of memory. This includes things like passwords, hashes, and even Kerberos tickets.

For Red Teamers and security researchers, Mimikatz isn’t just a “tool”; it’s more like a window into how Windows actually handles authentication beneath the surface. Once you use it a few times, you quickly understand why attackers rely on it so much. You also see why defenders take it seriously.

In the rest of this guide, we’ll walk through installing and running Mimikatz on Kali Linux. This is mainly so you can test things safely in your own lab environment and get a feel for how it behaves.

Installing Mimikatz on Kali Linux

Before you can start working with Mimikatz, you need to install it from the Kali repositories. The process is simple, but it’s always a good idea to refresh your package list first. This ensures you’re not pulling outdated dependencies.

To update your system, run:

sudo apt update

Once the update finishes, you can install Mimikatz with:

sudo apt install mimikatz

How to Run Mimikatz on Kali Linux

Once the installation is finished, you can launch Mimikatz directly from the terminal. Just type:

You can run the Mimikatz using the following command:

mimikatz

If you want to see the available commands or check the built-in options, use:

mimikatz -h

Uninstalling Mimikatz on Kali Linux

If you’re done testing and want to remove Mimikatz from your Kali system, you can uninstall it with a single command:

sudo apt remove mimikatz

After that, if you’d like to clear out the remaining configs and any extra packages that were pulled in during installation, use:

sudo apt autoremove --purge mimikatz

Conclusion

Mimikatz has become one of the most important tools in post-exploitation. It exposes how Windows handles authentication and where its weaknesses appear. By extracting credentials, hashes, and Kerberos tickets, it helps security teams understand exactly how an attacker could move inside a compromised environment.

By now, you’ve seen how to install Mimikatz on Kali Linux and try its basic commands. Additionally, you know how to remove it when you’re done testing. If you have any questions or run into an issue while following the steps, feel free to leave a comment. We’re here to help.

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Linux Tutorials