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feat(windows): add known aks processes and files to defender exclusions to improve windows node performance #8245

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Merged
timmy-wright merged 4 commits into from
Apr 8, 2026
Merged

feat(windows): add known aks processes and files to defender exclusions to improve windows node performance #8245

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b337993
update defender preferences
timmy-wright Apr 7, 2026
1e268b8
more exclusions
timmy-wright Apr 7, 2026
b366023
better exclusions
timmy-wright Apr 7, 2026
ccecf9b
more restrictive
timmy-wright Apr 7, 2026
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28 changes: 24 additions & 4 deletions staging/cse/windows/kubernetesfunc.ps1
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Expand Up @@ -149,24 +149,44 @@ function Update-DefenderPreferences {
Logs-To-Event -TaskName "AKS.WindowsCSE.UpdateDefenderPreferences" -TaskMessage "Start to update defender preferences"

Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "c:\k\kubelet.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\kubelet.err.log"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\kubelet.log"

Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "c:\k\kube-proxy.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\kubeproxy.err.log"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\kubeproxy.log"

Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\azure-vnet.log"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\containerd.err.log"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\aks-windows-exporter.err.log"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\aks-windows-exporter.log"

# Azure CNI
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "C:\k\azurecni\bin\azure-cns.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "C:\k\azurecni\bin\azure-vnet-ipam.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "C:\k\azurecni\bin\azure-vnet-ipamv6.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "C:\k\azurecni\bin\azure-vnet-telemetry.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "C:\k\azurecni\bin\azure-vnet.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "C:\k\azurecni\bin\AzureNetworkContainer.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "C:\k\azurecni\bin\CnsWrapperService.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\azurecns\azure-endpoints.json"
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Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\azurecni\netconf\10-azure.conflist"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\azure-vnet.log"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\azure-vnet-telemetry.log"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "C:\k\cni\win-bridge.exe"

if ($global:EnableCsiProxy) {
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "c:\k\csi-proxy.exe"
}
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\csi-proxy.err.log"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\csi-proxy.log"
}

# Azure CNS
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\azurecns\azure-endpoints.json"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\azurecns\azure-cns.json"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\k\azurecns\azure-cns.log"

# Containerd
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "c:\program files\containerd\containerd.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "c:\program files\containerd\containerd-shim-runhcs-v1.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\ProgramData\containerd\root\io.containerd.snapshotter.v1.windows\snapshots"
}

function Check-APIServerConnectivity {
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