How to Install MobSF on Kali Linux for Android Application Pentesting (2025)

If you’re a cybersecurity enthusiast or penetration tester, you may already know how crucial it is to have the right tools to assess and secure mobile applications. One such tool that has gained popularity in the mobile app security space is Mobile Security Framework (MobSF). It provides static and dynamic analysis of Android and iOS applications, making it a go-to tool for app security testing.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to install MobSF on Kali Linux 2025 using Docker. Docker simplifies the installation and management of MobSF, allowing us to run the tool in a containerized environment without worrying about dependencies.

Before you proceed with the installation steps, ensure that your Kali Linux machine is up to date, and you have Docker installed. If Docker is not installed on your system, follow the steps below.

MobSF runs in a Docker container, so the first step is to ensure Docker is properly set up on Kali Linux. To do this, we’ll add the Docker repository.

This command will add the Docker repository to your apt sources list.

Next, you’ll need to add Docker’s GPG key to authenticate the repository.

Now, update your package list to ensure your system has the latest information about available packages.

With the repository and GPG key set up, you can now install Docker.

To run Docker continuously, you need to start the Docker service and enable it to run on boot.

2. Enable Docker to start at boot time:

To verify that Docker has been installed successfully, check the Docker version and run a test container.

2. Run a test container to verify that Docker is functioning:

If everything is set up correctly, you should see a “Hello from Docker!” message.

Now that Docker is ready, it’s time to pull the MobSF Docker image and run it.

2. Run the MobSF Docker container:

This will start the MobSF framework in a Docker container, and it will be accessible through your browser at http://localhost:8000.

Once the container is up and running, open your browser and navigate to:

You’ll be prompted to log in. The default credentials are:

Enter these credentials, and you’ll have access to the MobSF dashboard, where you can upload and analyze Android applications for security vulnerabilities.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed MobSF on your Kali Linux machine using Docker. This setup will allow you to efficiently analyze Android applications for security flaws and vulnerabilities, helping you stay ahead in the world of mobile security.

If you prefer a video tutorial on the same process, feel free to check out my YouTube video where I walk you through the installation of MobSF step by step.

Happy pentesting!