DESCRIPTION
LineageOS sdm660 kernel with the short list of patches NetHunter needs and upstream does not ship: USB HID gadget, functionfs, loadable modules, no paranoid networking. You put it on a whyred running LineageOS 18.1 and the phone turns into a NetHunter platform: DuckHunter keystrokes over OTG, BadUSB, monitor mode with an external adapter, a signed WireGuard module in the zip. That is the whole pitch.
Built by GitHub Actions from the public repo, packaged as AnyKernel3 zips. Maintained by one person who actually owns the phone, not by a committee. In the official kali-nethunter-kernels device list since September 2026.
DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL
$ adb reboot recovery # flash whyred-nethunter-kernel-20260909.zip (latest dated zip) $ reboot
Needs unlocked bootloader, LineageOS 18.1 or an Android 11 ROM close to it. The NetHunter app and chroot install afterwards from the official Kali images. The long version with pictures and rollback steps is in the XDA thread.
WHAT IS PATCHED
CONFIG_USB_CONFIGFS_F_HID=y | HID gadget for keystroke injection over OTG |
CONFIG_USB_CONFIGFS_F_FS=y | functionfs, NetHunter USB gadget plumbing |
CONFIG_MODULES=y, unload enabled | rtl8812au module can load and unload |
ANDROID_PARANOID_NETWORK removed | chroot tools get sockets without AID_INET |
LOCALVERSION=-Nethunter-whyred | uname -a shows what you are running |
wireguard.ko, signed, new in v1.1.0 | WireGuard VPN in the zip, wg-quick ready |
The rtl8812au module is built from the aircrack-ng tree and signed with the
same key as the kernel. Monitor mode and injection work from a cheap ALFA on
OTG. Since v1.1.0 the zip also carries a signed WireGuard module from
wireguard-linux-compat, built with the same toolchain: the kernel enforces
module signature force, so both modules are signed the same way. Bring your
own config and wg-quick up works from the NetHunter userland.
Read the BUGS section before buying an adapter.
BUGS
- The internal WCN3980 wifi cannot do monitor mode. Firmware limitation, true for every whyred kernel ever built. Use an RTL8812AU adapter, they cost about 15 euro.
- Android 9 and 10 ROMs are not supported. GSI boot results vary and are not tested here.
- Report breakage in the XDA thread with
uname -aand the last logcat, or it did not happen.
CHANGELOG
- v1.1.0, 2026-09-09: signed WireGuard module (wireguard-linux-compat) shipped in the AnyKernel3 zip next to the signed 88XXau.ko. Flash path unchanged from v1.0.0.
- v1.0.0, 2026-08-31: first release. NetHunter defconfig, HID gadget, functionfs, signed rtl8812au module, AnyKernel3 packaging, CI builds on every push.
GUIDES
- guide-install(7): step by step from stock to NetHunter, with rollback
- guide-wifi(7): rtl8812au monitor mode and packet injection over OTG
- guide-wireguard(7): WireGuard on whyred with the signed module
FAQ
- Does Kali NetHunter work on the Redmi Note 5 Pro?
- Yes. That is exactly what this kernel is for: whyred on LineageOS 18.1 plus this kernel turns the phone into a NetHunter platform. The device is listed in the official kali-nethunter-kernels device list.
- Is MIUI supported?
- No. The target is LineageOS 18.1 or an Android 11 ROM very close to it. MIUI boot images and init differ, and nothing here is tested against MIUI.
- Do I need root?
- Yes, Magisk. The extra modules ship inside the AnyKernel3 zip and are installed systemlessly, so the ROM partition stays untouched.
- Can the internal WiFi do monitor mode?
- No. The WCN3980 firmware cannot, on every whyred kernel ever built. Use an external adapter, see the next question.
- Which WiFi adapter for monitor mode and injection?
- Anything on the RTL8812AU / 8821AU / 8814AU chips, for example the ALFA AWUS036ACH. The signed 88XXau module is in the zip. Expect to pay about 15 euro plus a decent OTG cable.
- Is WireGuard included?
- Since v1.1.0: a signed wireguard.ko rides in the zip next to the WiFi
module. Bring a config, run
wg-quick upfrom the NetHunter userland. Details in guide-wireguard(7). - How do I verify the zip I downloaded?
- Every release carries a .sha256 file. Compare before flashing, the CI uploads both from the same run.
- Will banking apps and Play Integrity still pass?
- No root hiding is attempted here. Magisk denylist and its friends are your own setup, outside the scope of this kernel.
- Why kernel 4.4 and not something newer?
- Because 4.4.302 is what the whyred LineageOS 18.1 base actually ships. There is no newer mainline for SDM636; anyone claiming 5.x on whyred is selling something.
- Is it free?
- GPLv2 for the kernel code, MIT for the build tooling, no ads, no paywall, one maintainer.
- Where do I report problems?
- The XDA support thread, with
uname -aand the last logcat. Without those two, debugging is guessing.