> 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-xdr-5.x/protect-your-endpoints/endpoint-protection/exploit-protection.md).

# Exploit protection

Learn how Cortex XDR protects endpoints from exploits and malicious techniques.

**Exploit protection**

An exploit is a sequence of commands that takes advantage of a bug or vulnerability in software or hardware to gain unauthorized access or control.

To combat an attack in which an attacker takes advantage of a software exploit or vulnerability, Cortex XDR employs Endpoint Protection Modules (EPM). Each EPM targets a specific exploit type in the attack chain. Some capabilities that Cortex XDR EPMs provide are reconnaissance prevention, memory corruption prevention, code execution prevention, and kernel protection.

The following table lists the types of exploits for which Cortex XDR provides protection.

| Exploit protection type      | Description                                                                                                                             |
| ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Reconnaissance prevention    | Prevents attackers from probing the network for vulnerabilities while preserving the option to perform internal reconnaissance testing. |
| Memory corruption prevention | Prevents adversaries from exploiting memory corruption vulnerabilities.                                                                 |
| Code execution prevention    | Prevents malicious code that could allow attackers to deploy additional malware to steal sensitive data.                                |
| Kernel protection            | Protects the kernel against kernel threats and exploits.                                                                                |


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