This topic describes how to install, configure, update, and use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux.
Caution
Running other third-party endpoint protection products alongside Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux is likely to lead to performance problems and unpredictable side effects. If non-Microsoft endpoint protection is an absolute requirement in your environment, you can still safely take advantage of Defender for Endpoint on Linux EDR functionality after configuring the antivirus functionality to run in Passive mode.
How to install Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux
Prerequisites
- Access to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal
- Linux distribution using the systemd system manager
- Beginner-level experience in Linux and BASH scripting
- Administrative privileges on the device (in case of manual deployment)
Note
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux agent is independent from OMS agent. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint relies on its own independent telemetry pipeline.
Installation instructions
There are several methods and deployment tools that you can use to install and configure Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux.
In general you need to take the following steps:
- Ensure that you have a Microsoft Defender for Endpoint subscription, and that you have access to the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint portal.
- Deploy Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux using one of the following deployment methods:
- The command-line tool:
- Third-party management tools:
If you experience any installation failures, refer to Troubleshooting installation failures in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux.
Note
It is not supported to install Microsoft Defender for Endpoint in any other location other than the default install path.
System requirements
- Supported Linux server distributions and x64 (AMD64/EM64T) versions:
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.7 or higher
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.2 or higher
- CentOS 6.7 or higher
- CentOS 7.2 or higher
- Ubuntu 16.04 LTS or higher LTS
- Debian 9 or higher
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 or higher
- Oracle Linux 7.2 or higher
- Amazon Linux 2
- Fedora 33 or higher
Note
Distributions and version that are not explicitly listed are unsupported (even if they are derived from the officially supported distributions).
For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and CentOS 6, the list of supported kernel versions are:
- For 6.7: 2.6.32-573.*
- For 6.8: 2.6.32-642.*
- For 6.9: 2.6.32-696.*
- For 6.10: 2.6.32.754.2.1.el6.x86_64 to 2.6.32-754.41.2:
Note
After a new package version is released, support for the previous two versions is reduced to technical support only. Versions older than that that are listed in this section are provided for technical upgrade support only.
List of versions:
- 2.6.32-754.2.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.17.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.29.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.3.5.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.29.2.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.6.3.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.22.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.30.2.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.9.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.23.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.33.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.10.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.24.2.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.35.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.11.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.24.3.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.39.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.12.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.25.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.41.2.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.14.2.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.27.1.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.15.3.el6.x86_64
- 2.6.32-754.28.1.el6.x86_64
- Minimum kernel version 3.10.0-327
- The
fanotifykernel option must be enabledCaution
Running Defender for Endpoint on Linux side by side with other
fanotify-based security solutions is not supported. It can lead to unpredictable results, including hanging the operating system. - Disk space: 1 GB
- /opt/microsoft/mdatp/sbin/wdavdaemon requires executable permission. For more information, see “Ensure that the daemon has executable permission” in Troubleshoot installation issues for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux.
- Cores: 2 minimum, 4 preferred
- Memory: 1 GB minimum, 4 preferred
Note
Please make sure that you have free disk space in /var.
- The solution currently provides real-time protection for the following file system types:
btrfsecryptfsext2ext3ext4fusefuseblkjfsnfsoverlayramfsreiserfstmpfsudfvfatxfs
After you’ve enabled the service, you may need to configure your network or firewall to allow outbound connections between it and your endpoints.
- Audit framework (
auditd) must be enabled.Note
System events captured by rules added to
/etc/audit/rules.d/will add toaudit.log(s) and might affect host auditing and upstream collection. Events added by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux will be tagged withmdatpkey.
Configuring Exclusions
When adding exclusions to Microsoft Defender Antivirus, you should be mindful of Common Exclusion Mistakes for Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Network connections
The following downloadable spreadsheet lists the services and their associated URLs that your network must be able to connect to. You should ensure that there are no firewall or network filtering rules that would deny access to these URLs. If there are, you may need to create an allow rule specifically for them.
| Spreadsheet of domains list | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Spreadsheet of specific DNS records for service locations, geographic locations, and OS.Download the spreadsheet here. |
Note
For a more specific URL list, see Configure proxy and internet connectivity settings.
Defender for Endpoint can discover a proxy server by using the following discovery methods:
- Transparent proxy
- Manual static proxy configuration
If a proxy or firewall is blocking anonymous traffic, make sure that anonymous traffic is permitted in the previously listed URLs. For transparent proxies, no additional configuration is needed for Defender for Endpoint. For static proxy, follow the steps in Manual Static Proxy Configuration.
Warning
PAC, WPAD, and authenticated proxies are not supported. Ensure that only a static proxy or transparent proxy is being used.
SSL inspection and intercepting proxies are also not supported for security reasons. Configure an exception for SSL inspection and your proxy server to directly pass through data from Defender for Endpoint on Linux to the relevant URLs without interception. Adding your interception certificate to the global store will not allow for interception.
For troubleshooting steps, see Troubleshoot cloud connectivity issues for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux.
How to update Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux
Microsoft regularly publishes software updates to improve performance, security, and to deliver new features. To update Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux, refer to Deploy updates for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux.
How to configure Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux
Guidance for how to configure the product in enterprise environments is available in Set preferences for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux.
Common Applications to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can impact
High I/O workloads from certain applications can experience performance issues when Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is installed. These include applications for developer scenarios like Jenkins and Jira, and database workloads like OracleDB and Postgres. If experiencing performance degradation, consider setting exclusions for trusted applications, keeping Common Exclusion Mistakes for Microsoft Defender Antivirus in mind. For additional guidance, consider consulting documentation regarding antivirus exclusions from third party applications.
Resources
- For more information about logging, uninstalling, or other topics, see Resources.