Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR: Contain Hosts

This guide helps you set up your Palo Alto Networks (PAN) Cortex XDR Pro device and grant necessary permissions so that you can enable the Contain Hosts auto remediation in Workbench.

This guide is the first step of a larger process to enable auto remediations. After completing the steps on this page, you will be instructed to return to the Enable an Auto Remediation in Workbench guide to finish your setup.

How It Works

If our SOC identifies a host that must be contained, Workbench completes the action automatically. You have the option to restrict these actions to specific hosts by configuring an allow or deny list (the hosts must first be added as context, and then the list can be configured in Workbench; see Step 2).

Endpoints Used

Cortex XDR public API

public_api/v1, full isolation

Method	Endpoint	Purpose
POST	/public_api/v1/endpoints/get_endpoint/	Look up endpoint ID by hostname; pre-check to read is_isolated
POST	/public_api/v1/endpoints/isolate	Isolate the endpoint
POST	/public_api/v1/endpoints/get_endpoint/	Poll is_isolated until the response is that the agent is isolated; also read last_seen

Revert (release): POST /public_api/v1/endpoints/unisolate.

Step 1: Allow Appropriate Permissions in Your EDR Console

1. Make sure you assign all API permissions in the PAN Cortex XDR Pro Setup for Workbench guide.
2. Enable the Isolate permission under Response for the Expel role.

   

Step 2: Update Your Context

If you do not want to specify any hosts for a "do not contain" or "always contain" list, and instead wish for Expel to automatically contain all identified hosts, skip to Step 3.

Working with your Customer Success Manager, prepare to create an allow or deny list by adding hosts as org context for your environment. You will then be able to select those hosts as "Never contain" or "Always contain" assets when you enable the auto remediation in Workbench. In this instance, the context update process is usually accomplished by sending us a .csv file.

If our SOC identifies a host that must be contained and you have created either an allow ("Always contain") or deny ("Never contain") list in Workbench, any hosts falling outside of those parameters are assigned to you as actions rather than being contained automatically.

Step 3: Return to the Main Setup Guide

Your Cortex XDR device is now ready for the Contain Hosts auto remediation. You should now do one of the following:

• If you do not need to set up any other devices for this auto remediation, you can return to the Enable an Auto Remediation in Workbench guide to finish Step 2 of the process.
• If you need to set up additional devices for this auto remediation, or wish to use this device with multiple auto remediations, be sure to complete those setup guides as well before returning to the Enable an Auto Remediation in Workbench guide to finish Step 2 of the process. Make sure to follow the setup guide that is specific to your auto remediation, as device setup instructions are unique to each auto remediation and device.