> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex-cloud-runtime-security-rn/cortex-cloud-runtime-security-release-information/features-introduced-in-2025-cloud/july-2025/release-highlights.md).

# Release Highlights

The Cortex Cloud Runtime Security 1.2 release includes the following highlights:

**Platform**

| Feature                   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Expanded response actions | Use built-in commands, scripts, and playbooks across AWS, Azure, and GCP to accelerate issue resolution—from war room investigations to automated response for common risks like exposed Storage Buckets. |

**Cloud Runtime Security**

| Feature                                   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Integrity monitoring via XDR agent        | Monitor critical files and directories on Linux, Windows, and Kubernetes environments to detect unauthorized changes and potential threats using custom or built-in policies.                                                 |
| Granular policy scoping                   | Define more precise, context-aware security policies for cloud hosts using cluster-level scoping and cloud metadata like name, region, and provider.                                                                          |
| Expanded KSPM coverage                    | Seamlessly deploy connectors to managed OpenShift and self-managed Kubernetes (non-OpenShift) environments, and we've included built-in support for CIS benchmarks to ensure compliance and strengthen your security posture. |
| Kubernetes admission controller support   | Protect Kubernetes environments by actively blocking deployments that contain malware or sensitive secrets at the admission controller level.                                                                                 |
| Enhanced container image modeling         | Gain deeper visibility and traceability across your cloud environment with a new asset model that distinguishes core, build, registry, and runtime images, improving correlation, lifecycle insights, and policy enforcement. |
| Container registry scanning via broker VM | Securely scan self-hosted container registries in on-prem or private clouds without exposing them to external access.                                                                                                         |
| Virtual Machine Image Scanning            | Scan VM disk images directly to detect vulnerabilities and misconfigurations earlier in the development lifecycle.                                                                                                            |


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