Installing Havoc C2 Framework on Apple Silicon (M3/M4 Max) Kali Linux

Posted Jan 4, 2026

By Ranger

10 min read

Overview

Havoc is a modern post-exploitation Command & Control (C2) framework similar to Cobalt Strike, designed for red team operations and penetration testing. However, installing it on Apple Silicon (M3/M4 Max) running Kali Linux ARM64 presents unique challenges due to library conflicts and architecture-specific issues.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

How to successfully install Havoc C2 on ARM64 Kali Linux
Solutions to Python 3.13/3.10 compatibility issues
Fixing Anaconda library conflicts
Resolving Qt version mismatches
Proper configuration for Apple Silicon architecture

What is Havoc? A Command & Control framework for authorized penetration testing, red team operations, and security research. Think Cobalt Strike, but open-source.

Prerequisites

Hardware:

MacBook Pro with M3/M4/M3 Max/M4 Max chip
8GB+ RAM allocated to VM (18GB recommended)

Software:

Kali Linux ARM64 (latest version)
Terminal access
sudo privileges

Knowledge:

Basic Linux command line
Understanding of C2 frameworks (helpful but not required)

⚠️ Legal Notice: Only use Havoc on systems you own or have explicit written authorization to test. Unauthorized access is illegal.

The Problem: Why Standard Installation Fails

When following the official Havoc installation guide on Apple Silicon Kali Linux, you’ll encounter three critical issues:

Python 3.13 incompatibility - Havoc requires Python 3.10, but Kali ships with 3.13
Anaconda library conflicts - Old libstdc++ from Anaconda breaks compilation
Qt version mismatch - Binary links to Anaconda’s Qt 5.15.2 instead of system Qt 5.15.17

Let’s fix all of these.

Step 1: Install System Dependencies

First, install the required packages:

  
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git build-essential apt-utils cmake libfontconfig1 \
    libglu1-mesa-dev libgtest-dev libspdlog-dev libboost-all-dev \
    libncurses5-dev libgdbm-dev libssl-dev libreadline-dev libffi-dev \
    libsqlite3-dev libbz2-dev mesa-common-dev qtbase5-dev qtchooser \
    qt5-qmake qtbase5-dev-tools libqt5websockets5 libqt5websockets5-dev \
    qtdeclarative5-dev golang-go nasm mingw-w64

Why these packages?

Qt5 packages: GUI framework for the client
Boost libraries: C++ dependencies
mingw-w64: Cross-compiler for Windows payloads
golang-go: Required for teamserver
nasm: Assembler for payload generation

Step 2: Clone Havoc Repository

cd ~/Documents/Apps/
git clone https://github.com/HavocFramework/Havoc.git
cd Havoc

Expected output:

Cloning into 'Havoc'...
remote: Enumerating objects: 12345, done.
remote: Total 12345 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0), pack-reused 12345
Receiving objects: 100% (12345/12345), 15.23 MiB | 8.45 MiB/s, done.

Step 3: Fix Python 3.10 Requirement

The Problem

Havoc’s CMakeLists.txt specifically requires Python 3.10:

  
set( Python_ADDITIONAL_VERSIONS 3.10 )

Kali Linux 2025+ ships with Python 3.13, which causes build failures:

/usr/bin/ld: /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/libpython3.13.so: undefined reference to `XML_SetAllocTrackerActivationThreshold'

The Solution: Install Python 3.10 via pyenv

Create installation script:

  
cd ~/Documents/Apps/Havoc
cat > install-python310.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash

echo "[*] Installing pyenv and Python 3.10 for Havoc"

# Install pyenv dependencies
sudo apt install -y make build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev \
libbz2-dev libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev wget curl llvm \
libncursesw5-dev xz-utils tk-dev libxml2-dev libxmlsec1-dev \
libffi-dev liblzma-dev

# Install pyenv
if [ ! -d "$HOME/.pyenv" ]; then
    echo "[*] Installing pyenv..."
    curl https://pyenv.run | bash
fi

# Setup pyenv environment
export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"

# Install Python 3.10.14
echo "[*] Installing Python 3.10.14..."
pyenv install 3.10.14 -s

# Set as local version for Havoc
pyenv local 3.10.14

echo "[*] Python 3.10 installation complete!"
python3 --version
EOF

chmod +x install-python310.sh

Run the installer:

./install-python310.sh

Add pyenv to shell config:

For zsh (Kali default):

  
cat >> ~/.zshrc << 'EOF'

# Pyenv for Python version management
export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
[[ -d $PYENV_ROOT/bin ]] && export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init - zsh)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"
EOF

source ~/.zshrc

For bash:

  
cat >> ~/.bashrc << 'EOF'

# Pyenv for Python version management
export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
[[ -d $PYENV_ROOT/bin ]] && export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init - bash)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"
EOF

source ~/.bashrc

Verify Python 3.10:

cd ~/Documents/Apps/Havoc
python3 --version

Expected output:

Python 3.10.14

Step 4: Create Build Script (Anaconda-Safe)

The Problem

If you have Anaconda installed, CMake will find Anaconda’s libraries first:

Old libstdc++ (GLIBCXX 3.4.29 vs required 3.4.32)
Old Qt 5.15.2 (vs system Qt 5.15.17)

This causes runtime errors:

Cannot mix incompatible Qt library (5.15.2) with this library (5.15.17)

The Solution: Force System Libraries

Create build script:

  
cat > build-havoc-client.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash

echo "[*] Building Havoc Client with Python 3.10 and System Qt"

# Exclude Anaconda from PATH
export PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"

# Initialize pyenv AFTER setting clean PATH
export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"

# Get Python 3.10 paths
PYTHON310_BIN=$(pyenv which python3)
PYTHON310_VERSION=$(python3 -c "import sys; print(f'{sys.version_info.major}.{sys.version_info.minor}')")

if [ "$PYTHON310_VERSION" != "3.10" ]; then
    echo "[!] Error: Python 3.10 not found!"
    exit 1
fi

PYTHON310_INCLUDE=$(python3 -c "from sysconfig import get_paths; print(get_paths()['include'])")
PYTHON310_LIB=$(python3 -c "from sysconfig import get_config_var; print(get_config_var('LIBDIR'))")/libpython3.10.so

# Force system Qt5
QT5_DIR="/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/cmake/Qt5"

echo "[*] Using Python: $PYTHON310_BIN"
echo "[*] Qt5 directory: $QT5_DIR"

# Clean previous build
make client-cleanup

# Update submodules
git submodule update --init --recursive

# Create build directory
mkdir -p client/Build
cd client/Build

# Configure with CMake
cmake -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE="$PYTHON310_BIN" \
      -DPYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR="$PYTHON310_INCLUDE" \
      -DPYTHON_LIBRARY="$PYTHON310_LIB" \
      -DPython3_EXECUTABLE="$PYTHON310_BIN" \
      -DPython3_INCLUDE_DIR="$PYTHON310_INCLUDE" \
      -DPython3_LIBRARY="$PYTHON310_LIB" \
      -DQt5_DIR="$QT5_DIR" \
      -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/cmake" \
      ..

# Build
cmake --build . -- -j 4

if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
    echo "[*] Build successful!"
    echo "[*] Verifying Qt libraries..."
    ldd ../Havoc | grep libQt5Core

    cd ../..
    if [ ! -d "client/Modules" ]; then
        git clone https://github.com/HavocFramework/Modules client/Modules --single-branch --branch main
    fi
fi
EOF

chmod +x build-havoc-client.sh

Run the build:

./build-havoc-client.sh

Expected output:

[*] Build successful!
[*] Verifying Qt libraries...
	libQt5Core.so.5 => /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/libQt5Core.so.5 ✓

❌ Bad output (Anaconda conflict):

	libQt5Core.so.5 => /home/kali/anaconda3/lib/libQt5Core.so.5 ✗

Step 5: Build Teamserver

The teamserver is written in Go and compiles easily:

make ts-build

Expected output:

[*] building teamserver
[*] Installing musl compiler...
[*] Building teamserver binary...

This creates the havoc binary (teamserver).

Step 6: Create Launcher Scripts

The Problem

Even with correct compilation, running the client directly picks up Anaconda libraries at runtime.

The Solution: Environment Override Scripts

Create client launcher:

  
cat > start-client.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash

cd "$(dirname "$0")"

# Override library paths to exclude Anaconda
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu:/usr/lib:/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu:/lib"
export QT_PLUGIN_PATH="/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins"
export QT_QPA_PLATFORM_PLUGIN_PATH="/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/platforms"

# Remove Anaconda Qt variables
unset QTDIR
unset QT_HOME

# Initialize pyenv
export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"

echo "Starting Havoc Client..."
echo "Python: $(python3 --version)"

./client/Havoc
EOF

chmod +x start-client.sh

Create teamserver launcher:

  
cat > start-server.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash

cd "$(dirname "$0")"

PROFILE="${1:-./profiles/havoc.yaotl}"

if [ ! -f "$PROFILE" ]; then
    echo "Error: Profile not found: $PROFILE"
    exit 1
fi

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu:/usr/lib:/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu:/lib"

echo "Starting Havoc Teamserver..."
echo "Profile: $PROFILE"

./havoc server --profile "$PROFILE" -v --debug
EOF

chmod +x start-server.sh

Step 7: Configure and Run Havoc

Check Default Credentials

cat profiles/havoc.yaotl

Default configuration:

  
Teamserver {
    Host = "0.0.0.0"
    Port = 40056
}

Operators {
    user "5pider" {
        Password = "password1234"
    }
    user "Neo" {
        Password = "password1234"
    }
}

Start Teamserver

Terminal 1:

cd ~/Documents/Apps/Havoc
sudo ./start-server.sh

Expected output:

Starting Havoc Teamserver...
Profile: ./profiles/havoc.yaotl

[INFO] Havoc Framework [Version: 0.7] [CodeName: Bites The Dust]
[INFO] Time: 2026-01-04 14:00:00
[INFO] Teamserver listening on 0.0.0.0:40056

Start Client

Terminal 2:

cd ~/Documents/Apps/Havoc
./start-client.sh

Expected output:

Starting Havoc Client...
Python: Python 3.10.14

[info] Havoc Framework [Version: 0.7] [CodeName: Bites The Dust]
[info] Successful created database
[info] loaded config file: client/config.toml

The GUI should launch successfully.

Connect to Teamserver

In the Havoc client GUI:

Click “New Profile”
Enter connection details:
- Profile Name: Local Server
- Host: 127.0.0.1
- Port: 40056
- User: Neo
- Password: password1234
Click “Save”
Click “Connect”

Success indicators:

Status changes to “Connected”
Teamserver shows: [INFO] New client connected
Client shows operators panel and session table

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: libstdc++ Version Error

Problem:

client/Havoc: /home/kali/anaconda3/lib/libstdc++.so.6: version `GLIBCXX_3.4.30' not found

Cause: Anaconda’s old libstdc++ is being loaded instead of system library.

Solution:

Always use ./start-client.sh which sets LD_LIBRARY_PATH correctly.

Verify:

ldd client/Havoc | grep libstdc++

Should show: /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6

Issue 2: Qt Version Mismatch

Problem:

Cannot mix incompatible Qt library (5.15.2) with this library (5.15.17)

Cause: Binary was built linking to Anaconda Qt.

Solution:

Rebuild with clean environment:

make client-cleanup
./build-havoc-client.sh

Verify correct Qt linkage:

ldd client/Havoc | grep libQt5Core

Good output:

libQt5Core.so.5 => /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/libQt5Core.so.5

Bad output:

libQt5Core.so.5 => /home/kali/anaconda3/lib/libQt5Core.so.5

Issue 3: Python Version Mismatch

Problem:

Build uses Python 3.13 instead of 3.10.

Cause: Not in Havoc directory where .python-version file exists.

Solution:

  
cd ~/Documents/Apps/Havoc
python3 --version  # Should be 3.10.14

If still showing 3.13:

  
source ~/.zshrc  # or ~/.bashrc
pyenv local 3.10.14

Issue 4: Connection Refused

Problem:

Client shows “remote host closed the connection”

Cause: Teamserver not running.

Solution:

Start teamserver: sudo ./start-server.sh
Verify listening: sudo netstat -tlnp | grep 40056
Check firewall isn’t blocking localhost

Issue 5: Permission Denied on Port 40056

Problem:

bind: permission denied

Cause: Ports below 1024 and some teamserver operations require root.

Solution:

sudo ./start-server.sh

Key Takeaways

Python 3.10 is mandatory - Use pyenv to install it alongside system Python
Anaconda conflicts are real - Override library paths to use system libraries
Build environment matters - Remove Anaconda from PATH during compilation
Use launcher scripts - Don’t run binaries directly; they need environment setup
ARM64 works great - Native compilation on Apple Silicon performs excellently

Quick Reference

Installation Commands

  
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/HavocFramework/Havoc.git
cd Havoc

# Install Python 3.10
./install-python310.sh
source ~/.zshrc

# Build client
./build-havoc-client.sh

# Build teamserver
make ts-build

Running Havoc

  
# Terminal 1: Start teamserver
sudo ./start-server.sh

# Terminal 2: Start client
./start-client.sh

Default Credentials

Host: 127.0.0.1
Port: 40056
User: Neo or 5pider
Password: password1234

Verify Build

  
# Check Python version
python3 --version  # Should be 3.10.14

# Check Qt linkage
ldd client/Havoc | grep libQt5Core
# Should point to /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/

# Check C++ library
ldd client/Havoc | grep libstdc++
# Should point to /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/

Resources

Havoc GitHub: https://github.com/HavocFramework/Havoc
Official Docs: https://havocframework.com/docs/
Wiki: https://github.com/HavocFramework/Havoc/wiki
Discord Community: https://discord.gg/z3PF3NRDE5
Python API: https://github.com/HavocFramework/havoc-py
Modules: https://github.com/HavocFramework/Modules

Support This Content

If this guide helped you get Havoc running on your M3/M4 Mac, consider supporting more tutorials like this!

Your support helps create more in-depth guides and tutorials!

Installation Time: ~30 minutes Difficulty: Intermediate Tested On: MacBook Pro M4 Max, Kali Linux ARM64 2025.1 Havoc Version: 0.7 (Bites The Dust)

Security, Tools

havoc c2 kali apple-silicon m3 m4 arm64 python qt penetration-testing red-team

This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.

Overview

Prerequisites

The Problem: Why Standard Installation Fails

Step 1: Install System Dependencies

Step 2: Clone Havoc Repository

Step 3: Fix Python 3.10 Requirement

The Problem

The Solution: Install Python 3.10 via pyenv

Step 4: Create Build Script (Anaconda-Safe)

The Problem

The Solution: Force System Libraries

Step 5: Build Teamserver

Step 6: Create Launcher Scripts

The Problem

The Solution: Environment Override Scripts

Step 7: Configure and Run Havoc

Check Default Credentials

Start Teamserver

Start Client

Connect to Teamserver

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: libstdc++ Version Error

Issue 2: Qt Version Mismatch

Issue 3: Python Version Mismatch

Issue 4: Connection Refused

Issue 5: Permission Denied on Port 40056

Key Takeaways

Quick Reference

Installation Commands

Running Havoc

Default Credentials

Verify Build

Resources

Support This Content

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