Parrot Security OS 6.4 Released: The Final 6.x Iteration with New Tools & Debian 13 Prep
Parrot Security OS 6.4 has been officially released, marking the final iteration of the sixth generation of this cybersecurity-focused Linux distribution. The development team has refreshed core components, introduced new tools, and begun preparations for the transition to Parrot 7.0, which will be based on Debian 13.
Among the most notable enhancements are updates to key utilities, including Metasploit (6.4.71), Caido (0.48.1), Sliver, Empire, Starkiller (3.0.0), and Netexec. The system now runs on Linux kernel 6.12.32 (6.12.34 for Raspberry Pi), and Firefox ESR has been fortified with privacy-focused patches. The updated Firefox user profile now accounts for policies.json path limitations and includes a trigger for restoring settings after updates.
The suite of pre-installed software has been expanded. New additions include Caido, John The Ripper, Katana, Subfinder, WPScan, and others. System menus have been updated with shortcuts to Rocket, Sliver, and several additional tools. Terminal autocompletion has been improved, and issues with access to the /root directory have been resolved.
The official repository now offers Microsoft-developed tools such as PowerShell 7.5, .NET SDK (v5–v9), and .NET Runtime, streamlining cross-platform development and testing workflows.
Crucial build scripts have also been rewritten to enhance automation and accelerate future release cycles. Work is already underway on Parrot 7.0, which is expected to introduce new desktop environments and support for the RISC-V architecture.
This release is accompanied by extensive system package updates, including curl, Firefox, LibreOffice, OpenJDK, systemd, glibc, golang, and many more. Users will benefit from improved stability and performance across the board.
For those running earlier versions, upgrading is possible via sudo parrot-upgrade or sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade, though a clean installation is strongly recommended—especially for users of Parrot 6.2 and older.
The Parrot team emphasized that version 6.4 marks the conclusion of the 6.x line. The next milestone: Parrot 7.0, built upon an entirely new foundation.
