Check ID:
Provider: Azure
Service:
Severity: MEDIUM
Categories:
Resource type:
aks_network_policy_enabledProvider: Azure
Service:
aksSeverity: MEDIUM
Categories:
trust-boundaries, cluster-securityResource type:
microsoft.containerservice/managedclustersWhat this check verifies
AKS clusters enforce Kubernetes network policies so that pod-to-pod traffic is governed by explicit ingress and egress rules. The finding evaluates whether a cluster has network policy enforcement enabled to support fine-grained, label-based segmentation between workloads.Risk
Without network policy, pods can talk to any pod:- Easy lateral movement after a pod compromise
- Unrestricted access to backend services and data
- Covert exfiltration/C2 via East-West traffic
Recommendation
Enable network policy enforcement and apply least privilege segmentation.- Start with a
deny-allbaseline, allow only required flows - Define both ingress and egress policies
- Use consistent labels/namespaces
- Layer with defense in depth (RBAC, node isolation, private networking) for zero-trust East-West control.
Remediation
- CLI
- Terraform
- Native IaC
- Dashboard steps
az aks update —resource-group <RESOURCE_GROUP> —name <CLUSTER_NAME> —network-policy calico
References
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/use-network-policies
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/security-controls-v2-network-security#ns-2-connect-private-networks-together
- https://www.trendmicro.com/cloudoneconformity/knowledge-base/azure/AKS/enable-network-policy-support.html
Where this check fires
This check runs on every scheduled scan against your Azure account. Findings appear at Cloud Security → Findings filterable byCheck ID = aks_network_policy_enabled. To re-evaluate after a fix, hit Run now on the account’s schedule under Cloud Security → Schedules — the next scan re-checks this control and marks the finding fixed or keeps it persistent.
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