OSCP on a Mac: Apple Silicon (M1 and Newer) Setup, Limits and Lab Options

    Your OSCP+ (OSCP Plus) labs and exam run on OffSec's network, so a Mac only has to run Kali well. Here's the Apple Silicon setup OffSec documents, the ARM quirks to sort out early, and what to do about practice labs built for Intel and AMD.

    By Hacker Blueprint··8 min read

    The short answer

    Yes, you can study for the OSCP+™ and sit the exam on a Mac, including every Apple Silicon model from the M1 onward. The PEN-200 labs and the exam machines live on OffSec's network, and you reach them over a VPN from a Kali Linux virtual machine on your own computer. So what matters is whether your Mac runs Kali. Apple Silicon Macs can, as long as you install Kali's ARM64 build.

    OffSec documents one setup for Apple Silicon: the Kali ARM64 installer in VMware Fusion. It also says most course content works on these Macs, with occasional problems caused by the different processor architecture.

    The gap is local practice labs built for Intel and AMD processors. Our free AD chains are x86 virtual machines, so they don't run on Apple Silicon Macs. They do run on Intel Macs. Your options are below.

    First, check which Mac you have

    Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. Chip followed by an Apple M-series name means Apple Silicon. Processor followed by an Intel name means an Intel Mac. The first Apple Silicon Macs were the M1 models from 2020.

    An Intel Mac behaves like an Intel PC here: Kali's ready-made VM images and our free AD chains work on it, given enough memory.

    What OffSec says about Macs (as of October 29, 2026)

    We checked OffSec's help center on October 29, 2026:

    • Kali setup. OffSec strongly recommends the Kali VMware image. On macOS that means VMware Fusion Pro, which OffSec notes is free for personal use. It also says it doesn't provide support for VMware issues.
    • Apple Silicon. Download Kali's Apple Silicon (ARM64) installer ISO and install it with VMware Fusion.
    • Compatibility. In OffSec's words, "the majority of the course content is compatible", but "occasional issues may arise due to differences in architecture." It adds that many learners have completed its courses on Apple Silicon "without encountering significant obstacles."
    • The exam connection. You connect "with Kali Linux using OpenVPN", and OffSec can't help with VPN problems on any other setup.
    • Proctoring. macOS is a supported host system, your VM must run locally on the computer running the proctoring app, and the proctor sends Mac users a script to run during onboarding.

    The only OffSec page we found that rules out Apple Silicon covers its instructor-led live classes, which ask for a computer that runs x86 VMware VMs. The PEN-200 and exam pages we checked have no such rule.

    Which hypervisor to use on Apple Silicon

    Kali's ready-made VM images are built for Intel and AMD (amd64) only. On Apple Silicon you install Kali from the ARM64 installer ISO, inside one of these:

    • VMware Fusion. The setup OffSec documents. Kali's guide says Apple Silicon needs Fusion 13 or newer. This is our pick for anyone heading to the exam.
    • UTM and Parallels Desktop. Kali publishes install guides for both. OffSec's pages don't mention either.
    • VirtualBox. Version 7.1 (September 2024) added ARM virtualization for Linux guests on Apple Silicon, making it the newest option here. That support is for ARM guests, so it still can't run the x86 machines in our chains.

    If something odd happens mid-exam, you want to be on the setup OffSec's guides were written for.

    The rough edges of ARM Kali

    Most of PEN-200 works the same on ARM Kali. The differences cluster in a few places, and you want to find them during the course:

    • Compiling. Code you compile on ARM Kali builds for ARM by default. If a target runs on an x86 processor, anything you build for it has to be cross-compiled for x86. Set this up and test it early.
    • x86-only tools. Some tools ship only as x86-64 builds. On ARM Kali you may need an ARM build, a build from source, or a different tool that does the same job.
    • Files you copy to a target. Windows tools and other prebuilt files you transfer run on the target's processor, so your Mac's chip doesn't affect them.

    Keep a list of every tool you swapped or rebuilt, and test each one in OffSec's labs before you book the exam. If course material won't work on your Mac, OffSec's Apple Silicon notice asks you to contact its support team.

    Our free AD chains on a Mac

    The free AD chains on our labs page are small Windows domains packaged as x86 virtual machines. Chains 01 to 06 run in VirtualBox, and VMware support starts at Chain_07. They need 8 GB of RAM at minimum, with 16 GB or more recommended, and they don't run on Apple Silicon Macs or Snapdragon Windows laptops.

    Your computer Kali for PEN-200 and the exam Our free AD chains
    Apple Silicon Mac (M1 and newer) Kali ARM64 installer in VMware Fusion Don't run
    Intel Mac Kali's ready-made VMware image Run
    Windows or Linux PC with Intel or AMD Kali's ready-made VMware image Run
    Snapdragon Windows laptop Not covered in OffSec's Kali setup article Don't run

    Practice options on an Apple Silicon Mac

    Three ways to get Active Directory practice without replacing your Mac:

    1. Add an Intel or AMD computer for the chains. A Windows or Linux PC, or an older Intel Mac, ideally with 16 GB of RAM, runs a chain and an x86 Kali VM side by side. Keep the Mac for the course, your notes and the exam.
    2. Use OffSec's challenge labs. With PEN-200 access, challenge labs 4, 5 and 6 (OSCP A, B and C) each include an AD set. They run on OffSec's network, so your ARM Kali reaches them over the VPN. OffSec's in-browser Kali also covers some labs, though anything you save on it is lost when the session ends.
    3. Watch the chain walkthroughs. Our free walkthroughs in the OSCP Practice Labs playlist play on any device. Watching teaches less than doing, but you still see a whole domain worked through. Our free OSCP labs guide covers each chain.

    A cloud or remote Kali box won't do for the exam. OffSec's exam FAQ says all your activity must happen on the host machine running the proctoring app.

    New to virtual machines? The free academy has a beginner path on VMs and Linux.

    Rehearse your exam setup

    Your Mac is also the proctored computer on exam day, so test everything well before your date.

    • Check the hardware. Compare your Mac with the RAM, CPU and disk OSCP labs need. OffSec's host minimums include 8 GB of RAM recommended, 20 GB of free disk space and a webcam (a phone or tablet doesn't count). Kali and the proctoring app share the same Mac, so leave room for both.
    • Run a long practice session. Connect to OffSec's labs over OpenVPN from your ARM Kali, compiling and transferring files the way you would in the exam.
    • Expect the Mac onboarding step. The proctor sends a script to run in the macOS terminal, and you paste its output back to them. The rest of check-in, from the ID check to the room scan, is in our OSCP+ proctoring guide.

    For the rest of exam day, our OSCP exam tips cover timing, breaks and the report, and the OSCP+ roadmap lays out the full study plan.

    FAQ

    Can you do the OSCP on an M1 Mac?

    Yes. The M1 and every M-series chip after it are Apple Silicon, and each runs Kali's ARM64 build in a virtual machine. VMware Fusion is the setup OffSec documents.

    Can I take the exam in UTM or Parallels?

    OffSec's exam pages don't name either one. They require Kali Linux on OpenVPN, running locally on the computer with the proctoring app. VMware Fusion is the Apple Silicon setup OffSec documents, which makes it the safer exam-day choice.

    Do your free AD chains run on a MacBook?

    Only on an Intel MacBook. They don't run on Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and newer). Any Windows or Linux PC with an Intel or AMD processor works, with 8 GB of RAM minimum and 16 GB recommended.

    Does a Mac change the exam itself?

    No. You get the same 23 hours and 45 minutes, three standalone machines and an AD set. Under points scoring the standalones are worth 60 points and the AD set 40, with 70 to pass. Exams from December 1, 2026 use a scaled score from 100 to 500, with 400 to pass.

    Start on your Mac

    Check your chip, install Kali's ARM64 build in VMware Fusion, and test your toolkit in OffSec's labs early.

    One of our students, Laassiri Elmehdi, wrote: "This is by far the best course to prepare for the OSCP, it gives you a clean, easy to follow methodology, that you will be able to use anywhere else." (More reviews)

    Try our 30+ hour course for OSCP® prep with a free trial, or start with our free AD chains on an Intel or AMD computer.

    Stuck on your Mac setup? Ask in the Hacker Blueprint Discord.

    Sources

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