Using Burp Suite within WSL (GUI)[Debian]: A Tech Support Guide

Abstract: In this guide, we'll walk through the steps to figure out and resolve the error 'Error: Can't open display: 0' and use Burp Suite within WSL (GUI)[Debian]. The solution involves installing vcxsrv () and executing it with the correct options. Afterward, we'll be able to run Burp Suite within WSL (GUI)[Debian] seamlessly. Try this guide today if you're facing this issue and read more to learn more.

Created: 2025-02-10 by UserComp.com Editors

Introduction

In this article, we will explore how to use Burp Suite, a popular penetration testing and vulnerability finder tool, within Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) using the GUI.

Prerequisites

To get started, make sure you have the following installed:

WSL (Debian distribution) with the latest updates
Xming or VcXsrv to enable GUI applications in WSL

Installing Burp Suite in WSL

Start by updating the package lists and installing the required dependencies:


 sudo apt update && \
 sudo apt install -y gnome-terminal fonts-liberation

Now, download the Burp Suite installation bundle:


 wget https://portswigger.net/burp/releases/download?product=pro&version=2.1.06&type=linux -O burp-2.1.06.tgz

Extract the bundle and navigate to the Burp Suite directory:


 tar -xvf burp-2.1.06.tgz && \
 cd burp-2.1.06

Running Burp Suite with WSL and VcXsrv

Before launching Burp Suite, ensure you have started VcXsrv on your Windows machine following the instructions in the VCXsrv documentation.

Run Burp Suite with the following command:


 ./burpsuite_pro

You'll see an error message like this:

Error: Can't open display: 0

This error occurs because the X11 display variable is not correctly set. To fix this, follow these steps:

Run the following command to set the DISPLAY variable in WSL:
Verify the DISPLAY variable has been set correctly by running:

The output should be :0.

Resolving the Display Error

After setting the DISPLAY variable, you may still encounter the same error when launching Burp Suite. The issue is that VcXsrv has not been allowed through the Windows Firewall.

To resolve this, perform the following steps:

In the Windows Search bar, type "Windows Defender Firewall" and click on "Allow an app through Windows Firewall".
Click on "Change settings" and then scroll down to find "Xming".
Check both "Private" and "Public" checkboxes and click "OK".

With the Windows Firewall configured, you should be able to launch Burp Suite without issues.

In this article, we explored how to use Burp Suite in WSL with the GUI enabled through VcXsrv. We covered setting up WSL, installing and launching Burp Suite, and troubleshooting the display error.

References

Tags: Burp Suite WSL Debian tech support Windows Subsystem for Linux

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