Endpoint Protection Modules
Each security profile applies multiple security modules to protect
your endpoints from a wide range of attack techniques. While the
settings for each module are not configurable, the Cortex XDR agent
activates a specific protection module depending on the type of
attack, the configuration of your security policy, and the operating
system of the endpoint. When a security event occurs, the Cortex
XDR agent logs details about the event including the security module
employed by the Cortex XDR agent to detect and prevent the attack
based on the technique. To help you understand the nature of the
attack, the alert identifies the protection module the Cortex XDR
agent employed.
The following table lists the modules and the platforms on which
they are supported. A dash (—) indicates the module is not supported.
Module | Windows | Mac | Linux | Android |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Ransomware Targets encryption-based activity
associated with ransomware and has the ability to analyze and halt
ransomware activity before any data loss occurs. |  | — | — | — |
APC Protection Prevents attacks that change the execution
order of a process by redirecting an asynchronous procedure call
(APC) to point to the malicious shellcode. | | — | — | — |
Behavioral Threat Prevents sophisticated
attacks that leverage built-in OS executables and common administration utilities
by continuously monitoring endpoint activity for malicious causality
chains. | |
| | — |
Brute Force Protection Prevents attackers from
hijacking the process control flow by monitoring memory layout enumeration attempts. | — | — | | — |
Child Process Protection Prevents script-based
attacks that are used to deliver malware, such as ransomware, by
blocking known targeted processes from launching child processes
that are commonly used to bypass traditional security approaches. | | — | — | — |
CPL Protection Protects against vulnerabilities
related to the display routine for Windows Control Panel Library
(CPL) shortcut images, which can be used as a malware infection
vector. | | — | — | — |
Data Execution Prevention (DEP) Prevents
areas of memory defined to contain only data from running executable code. | | — | — | — |
DLL Hijacking Prevents DLL-hijacking
attacks where the attacker attempts to load dynamic-link libraries
on Windows operating systems from unsecure locations to gain control of
a process. | | — | — | — |
DLL Security Prevents access to crucial
DLL metadata from untrusted code locations. | | — | — | — |
Dylib Hijacking Prevents Dylib-hijacking
attacks where the attacker attempts to load dynamic libraries on
Mac operating systems from unsecure locations to gain control of
a process. | — | | — | — |
Exploit Kit Fingerprint Protects against the
fingerprinting technique used by browser exploit kits to identify information—such
as the OS or applications which run on an endpoint—that attackers
can leverage when launching an attack to evade protection capabilities. | | — | — | — |
Font Protection Prevents improper font
handling, a common target of exploits. | | — | — | — |
Gatekeeper Enhancement Enhances the macOS
gatekeeper functionality that allows apps to run based on their
digital signature. This module provides an additional layer of protection
by extending gatekeeper functionality to child processes so you can
enforce the signature level of your choice. | — | | — | — |
Hash Exception Halts execution of files
that an administrator identified as malware regardless of the WildFire verdict. | | | | |
Hot Patch Protection Prevents the
use of system functions to bypass DEP and address space layout randomization (ASLR). | | — | — | — |
Java Deserialization Blocks attempts
to execute malicious code during the Java objects deserialization
process on Java-based servers. | — | — | | — |
JIT Prevents an attacker from bypassing the
operating system's memory mitigations using just-in-time (JIT) compilation engines. | | | — | — |
Kernel Integrity Monitor (KIM) Prevents
rootkit and vulnerability exploitation on Linux endpoints. On the
first detection of suspicious rootkit behavior, the behavioral threat protection
(BTP) module generates an XDR Agent alert. Cortex XDR stitches logs
about the process that loaded the kernel module with other logs
relating to the kernel module to aid in alert investigation. When the
Cortex XDR agent detects subsequent rootkit behavior, it blocks
the activity. | — | — | | — |
Local Analysis Examines hundreds of characteristics
of an unknown executable file, DLL, or macro to determine if it
is likely to be malware. The local analysis module uses a static
set of pattern-matching rules that inspect multiple file features
and attributes, and a statistical model that was developed using
machine learning on WildFire threat intelligence. | | | | — |
Local Threat Evaluation Engine (LTEE) Protects
against malicious PHP files arriving from the web server. | — | — | | — |
Local Privilege Escalation Protection Prevents attackers from
performing malicious activities that require privileges that are
higher than those assigned to the attacked or malicious process. | | | | — |
Null Dereference Prevents malicious code
from mapping to address zero in the memory space, making null dereference vulnerabilities unexploitable. | | — | — | — |
Restricted Execution - Local Path Prevents unauthorized
execution from a local path. | | — | — | — |
Restricted Execution - Network Location Prevents unauthorized
execution from a network path. | | — | — | — |
Restricted Execution - Removable Media Prevents unauthorized
execution from removable media. | | — | — | — |
Reverse Shell Protection Blocks malicious activity
where an attacker redirects standard input and output streams to network
sockets. | — | — | | — |
ROP Protects against the use of return-oriented programming
(ROP) by protecting APIs used in ROP chains. | | | | — |
SEH Prevents hijacking of the structured exception
handler (SEH), a commonly exploited control structure that can contain
multiple SEH blocks that form a linked list chain, which contains a
sequence of function records. | | — | — | — |
Shellcode Protection Reserves and protects
certain areas of memory commonly used to house payloads using heap
spray techniques. | — | — | | — |
ShellLink Prevents shell-link logical vulnerabilities. | | — | — | — |
SO Hijacking Protection Prevents dynamic loading
of libraries from unsecure locations to gain control of a process. | — | — | | — |
SysExit Prevents using system calls
to bypass other protection capabilities. | | — | — | — |
UASLR Improves or altogether implements ASLR
(address space layout randomization) with greater entropy, robustness,
and strict enforcement. | | — | — | — |
Vulnerable Drivers Protection Detect
attempts to load vulnerable drivers. | | — | — | — |
WildFire Leverages WildFire
for threat intelligence to determine whether a file is malware.
In the case of unknown files, Cortex XDR can forward samples to
WildFire for in-depth analysis. | | | | |
WildFire Post-Detection (Malware and Grayware) Identifies
a file that was previously allowed to run on an endpoint that is
now determined to be malware. Post-detection events provide notifications
for each endpoint on which the file executed. | | | | |
