Public Preview: Vulnerability assessment and malware detection for AKS nodes (Microsoft Defender for Cloud)

Microsoft Defender for Cloud now offers, in preview, vulnerability assessments and malware detection for nodes within Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). By securing these Kubernetes nodes, organizations can enhance their overall security posture, maintain compliance across their managed Kubernetes environments, and better understand their responsibilities within the shared security model of the cloud.

 

To receive the new capabilities, the Agentless scanning for machines toggle needs to be enabled as part of Defender CSPM, Defender for Containers, or Defender for Servers P2 plan on your subscription. 

• Vulnerability Assessment - A new recommendation is now available in Azure portal: AKS nodes should have vulnerability findings resolved. Using this recommendation, you can now review and remediate vulnerabilities and CVEs found on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) nodes. 

• Malware detection - New security alerts are triggered when the agentless malware detection capability detects malware in AKS nodes. Agentless malware detection uses the Microsoft Defender Antivirus anti-malware engine to scan and detect malicious files. When threats are detected, security alerts are directed into Defender for Cloud and Defender XDR, where they can be investigated and remediated. 

Learn more.