Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Support for Amazon Linux 2 (ARM64) retiring October 31, 2026

🚨 The Signal: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint will no longer support Amazon Linux 2 (ARM64) after October 31, 2026. This impacts endpoint protection, leaving these systems vulnerable to unpatched security flaws and stability issues.

The Impact

Organizations using Defender for Endpoint on Amazon Linux 2 (ARM64) will lose critical security updates, increasing their attack surface and risk.

• Security Teams: Will lose visibility and protection for affected endpoints.
• Admins: Must re-platform affected Amazon Linux 2 (ARM64) instances.
• Organizations: Face increased risk from unpatched vulnerabilities on unsupported systems.

The Action

1. Identify all devices running Amazon Linux 2 (ARM64) with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint installed.
2. Prevent any upgrades beyond version 101.25122.0004 on identified Amazon Linux 2 (ARM64) devices.
3. Plan the migration of these devices to a currently supported Linux distribution for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
4. Complete the migration of all affected devices before October 31, 2026.

Domain: Defender · Impact: high · Workload: Microsoft Defender · Essential Eight: Patch Operating Systems, Application Control · ISM: ISM-0843, ISM-1407, ISM-1490, ISM-1501, ISM-1544, ISM-1582, ISM-1621, ISM-1622, ISM-1623, ISM-1654, ISM-1655, ISM-1656, ISM-1657, ISM-1658, ISM-1659, ISM-1660, ISM-1694, ISM-1695, ISM-1696, ISM-1701, ISM-1702, ISM-1870, ISM-1871, ISM-1877, ISM-1889, ISM-1902