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UTM Kali Linux Network Troubleshooting on macOS (M1/M2/M3/M4)

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By Ranger
10 min read
UTM Kali Linux Network Troubleshooting on macOS (M1/M2/M3/M4)

Overview

This guide covers common network issues when running Kali Linux in UTM on Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4). If your Kali VM can’t connect to the internet, network icon keeps spinning, or you’re getting QEMU errors, this guide is for you!

Common Error: Shared Folder Permission Denied

Error:

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QEMU error: QEMU exited from an error: qemu-aarch64-softmmu:
-device virtio-9p-pci,fsdev=virtfs0,mount_tag=share:
cannot initialize fsdev 'virtfs0': failed to open '/Users/username/share':
Operation not permitted

Cause: macOS is blocking UTM from accessing the shared folder.

Fix 1: Grant Full Disk Access

  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
  2. Click Full Disk Access
  3. Click + button
  4. Navigate to /Applications/UTM.app and add it
  5. Toggle it ON
  6. Restart UTM completely

Fix 2: Files and Folders Permission

  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
  2. Click Files and Folders
  3. Find UTM in the list
  4. Enable all folder access toggles

Fix 3: Reset Folder Attributes

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# Remove extended attributes blocking access
xattr -cr /path/to/shared/folder

# Verify permissions
ls -la /path/to/shared/folder

Fix 4: Use a Simpler Share Path

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# Create a new share folder in home directory
mkdir ~/VMShare

Then update UTM to share ~/VMShare instead of nested paths.

Fix 5: Re-add Shared Folder

  1. Open UTM → Select VM → Edit
  2. Go to Sharing tab
  3. Remove the current shared folder
  4. Click + to add it again (triggers new permission prompt)
  5. Accept the permission dialog

UTM Network Settings

How to Access Network Settings

  1. Open UTM
  2. Select your Kali VM
  3. Click Edit (or right-click → Edit)
  4. Go to Network tab

Option 1: Emulated VLAN (Most Compatible)

SettingValue
Network ModeEmulated VLAN
Emulated Network Cardvirtio-net-pci

Best for: General use, most stable option.

Option 2: Shared Network (Simple NAT)

SettingValue
Network ModeShared Network
Emulated Network Cardvirtio-net-pci

Best for: Quick setup, internet access without configuration.

Option 3: Bridged Network (Advanced)

SettingValue
Network ModeBridged (Advanced)
Bridged Interfaceen0 (WiFi) or en1 (Ethernet)
Emulated Network Cardvirtio-net-pci

Best for: VM needs its own IP on your network, running servers.

Network Mode Comparison

ModeInternetSee HostOwn IPComplexity
Emulated VLANYesYesNATLow
Shared NetworkYesYesNATLow
BridgedYesYesReal IPMedium
Host OnlyNoYesInternalLow

The Fix That Actually Worked (DHCP Offer But No ACK)

This is the specific issue I encountered and the solution that finally worked.

The Problem

Running sudo dhclient -v eth0 showed:

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DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 4
DHCPOFFER of 192.168.1.43 from 192.168.1.1
DHCPREQUEST for 192.168.1.43 on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
DHCPREQUEST for 192.168.1.43 on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 8
...

The router was offering an IP address, but the DHCPACK (acknowledgment) never came back. The VM could see the network, the router could see the VM, but DHCP couldn’t complete.

The Solution: Static IP

Since the router offered 192.168.1.43, we know the network works. Just configure it manually!

Step 1: Set IP immediately (temporary)

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sudo ip addr add 192.168.1.43/24 dev eth0
sudo ip route add default via 192.168.1.1
echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf

Step 2: Test it works

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ping google.com

Step 3: Make it permanent

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sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Add to the end of the file:

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# Ethernet - Static IP (DHCP doesn't complete in bridged mode)
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
    address 192.168.1.43
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    gateway 192.168.1.1
    dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4

Complete file looks like:

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# This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
# and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).

source /etc/network/interfaces.d/*

# The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

# Ethernet - Static IP (DHCP doesn't complete in bridged mode)
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
    address 192.168.1.43
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    gateway 192.168.1.1
    dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4

Step 4: Apply without reboot

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sudo systemctl restart networking

About the Grayed Network Icon

After this fix, the network icon in Kali’s taskbar may appear grayed out. This is normal and expected!

ServiceManaging eth0Icon Status
NetworkManagerNoGrayed
/etc/network/interfacesYes ✅No icon change

The icon is grayed because NetworkManager is no longer managing eth0 - the /etc/network/interfaces file handles it now. Your network still works perfectly!

Result

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✅ IP: 192.168.1.43
✅ Gateway: 192.168.1.1
✅ DNS: 8.8.8.8
✅ Internet: Working
✅ Survives reboot: Yes

Troubleshooting Inside Kali

Network Icon Spinning / Not Connecting

Step 1: Restart NetworkManager

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sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Step 2: Check Interface Status

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# List all interfaces
ip a

# Check specific interface
ip addr show eth0
ip addr show enp0s1

Step 3: Force DHCP Request

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# Release and renew IP
sudo dhclient -r eth0
sudo dhclient -v eth0

No Network Interface Found

Check available interfaces:

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ip link show

If no eth0, try:

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# Find correct interface name
ip link | grep -E "^[0-9]"

# Common names on UTM:
# - eth0
# - enp0s1
# - ens3

Bring interface up manually:

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sudo ip link set eth0 up
sudo dhclient eth0

NetworkManager Not Running

Check status:

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sudo systemctl status NetworkManager

Start it:

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sudo systemctl start NetworkManager
sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager

If completely broken:

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sudo killall NetworkManager
sudo NetworkManager &

View Real-time Network Logs

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# Watch NetworkManager logs
journalctl -u NetworkManager -f

# Watch all network-related messages
dmesg | grep -i net

Manual Network Configuration

If NetworkManager isn’t working, configure manually:

Using ip commands (temporary)

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# Bring interface up
sudo ip link set eth0 up

# Set IP address manually
sudo ip addr add 192.168.64.10/24 dev eth0

# Add default gateway
sudo ip route add default via 192.168.64.1

# Set DNS
echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf

Using /etc/network/interfaces (permanent)

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sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Add:

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auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

Or for static IP:

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auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
    address 192.168.64.10
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    gateway 192.168.64.1
    dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4

Then:

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sudo systemctl restart networking

Test Network Connectivity

Basic Tests

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# Test local interface
ping -c 3 127.0.0.1

# Test gateway (find yours with: ip route)
ping -c 3 192.168.64.1

# Test internet (IP)
ping -c 3 8.8.8.8

# Test DNS resolution
ping -c 3 google.com

If Ping Works But No Internet

DNS might be broken:

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# Check current DNS
cat /etc/resolv.conf

# Temporarily fix DNS
echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf

# Test
nslookup google.com

UTM-Specific Fixes

Reset VM Network

  1. Shut down VM completely (not restart)
  2. In UTM, go to VM settings → Network
  3. Delete the network device
  4. Add a new network device
  5. Start VM

Change Network Card Type

If virtio-net-pci doesn’t work, try:

Card TypeCompatibilitySpeed
virtio-net-pciBestFastest
e1000GoodFast
rtl8139LegacySlow

Check QEMU Network Backend

In VM settings, ensure:

  • Network backend is properly configured
  • No conflicting port forwards
  • MAC address is unique (if running multiple VMs)

Complete Reset Procedure

If nothing works, try a complete network reset:

Inside Kali:

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# Stop NetworkManager
sudo systemctl stop NetworkManager

# Flush all network config
sudo ip addr flush dev eth0
sudo ip route flush table main

# Restart networking
sudo systemctl restart networking
sudo systemctl start NetworkManager

# Force DHCP
sudo dhclient -v eth0

In UTM:

  1. Shut down VM
  2. Edit VM → Network → Delete network adapter
  3. Save
  4. Edit VM → Network → Add new network adapter
  5. Set to Emulated VLAN + virtio-net-pci
  6. Save and start VM

Rosetta for Linux (ARM64 VMs)

If running an ARM64 Kali on Apple Silicon:

Enable Rosetta in UTM

  1. Edit VM → System
  2. Check Enable Rosetta (if available)
  3. This helps with x86 binary compatibility

Install Rosetta Support in Kali

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# Mount Rosetta share (if configured)
sudo mkdir -p /media/rosetta
sudo mount -t virtiofs rosetta /media/rosetta

# Register Rosetta as binfmt handler
sudo /usr/sbin/update-binfmts --install rosetta /media/rosetta/rosetta \
    --magic "\x7fELF\x02\x01\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x3e\x00" \
    --mask "\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xfe\xfe\x00\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xfe\xff\xff\xff" \
    --credentials yes --preserve no --fix-binary yes

Quick Reference Commands

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# Check IP address
ip a

# Check routing table
ip route

# Check DNS
cat /etc/resolv.conf

# Restart NetworkManager
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

# Force DHCP
sudo dhclient -v eth0

# Watch network logs
journalctl -u NetworkManager -f

# Test connectivity
ping -c 3 8.8.8.8
ping -c 3 google.com

# List network interfaces
nmcli device status

# Connect to network
nmcli connection up "Wired connection 1"

# Show all connections
nmcli connection show

Troubleshooting Flowchart

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Network not working?
│
├─► Check UTM Network Settings
│   └─► Set to Emulated VLAN + virtio-net-pci
│
├─► Inside VM: ip a
│   ├─► No interface? → Check UTM network adapter
│   └─► Interface exists but no IP? → Continue below
│
├─► sudo dhclient -v eth0
│   ├─► Got IP? → Test with ping 8.8.8.8
│   ├─► DHCPOFFER but no DHCPACK? → Use static IP! ✅
│   │   └─► See "The Fix That Actually Worked" section
│   └─► No response at all? → Check UTM network mode
│
├─► ping 8.8.8.8
│   ├─► Works? → DNS issue, fix /etc/resolv.conf
│   └─► Fails? → Routing issue, check ip route
│
├─► Network icon grayed out?
│   └─► Normal! /etc/network/interfaces is managing it
│
└─► Still broken?
    └─► Complete reset procedure above

Summary

ProblemSolution
Permission denied (share)Grant UTM Full Disk Access
No network in VMSet Emulated VLAN mode
NetworkManager spinningsudo dhclient -v eth0
DHCP offers but no ACKUse static IP in /etc/network/interfaces ✅
No interfaceCheck UTM network adapter settings
Can ping IP not domainFix DNS in /etc/resolv.conf
Grayed network iconNormal! /etc/network/interfaces manages it
Nothing worksComplete reset procedure

Key Takeaways

  1. Full Disk Access is often needed for UTM shared folders
  2. Emulated VLAN is the most reliable network mode
  3. virtio-net-pci is the fastest network card type
  4. dhclient can force DHCP when NetworkManager fails
  5. Always fully shut down VM after changing settings
  6. Check journalctl logs for detailed error messages

Resources

Virtual machines can be tricky, but once configured correctly, they run smoothly. Save this guide for future reference!

Virtualization, Troubleshooting
utm kali linux macos networking virtual-machine apple-silicon troubleshooting
This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.