Access to Web-GUI (on MGMT-Port) via IPSec-Tunnel from external network

[GuidoKramer]

Hey everyone,

I have the following active-passive-HA-scenario:

ethernet1/1: External Interface (vpn termination point)

ethernet1/2: Internal Interface

MGMT: Management-Interface

HA1: HA

HA2: HA

For administrative and monitoring purposes I need access from an external network to the WEB-GUI of both firewall-systems. Because of active-passive-HA, just one firewall is available at the same time. So I thought: Is it possible to establish a IPSec-Tunnel between two firewall to get access to the WEB-GUI:

The ipsec tunnel works fine and I can see hits on the security policy which should allow the traffic from external network to the Management-Interface of the palo alto firewall. But the access via https does not work. 😞

My questions:

- Is it possible to get access from external network via ipsec-tunnel to the Management-Interface of a Palo Alto Firewall?

- Are there other ways to get access from external network via ipsec-tunnel to the WEB-GUI of both firewall-systems?

Thanks in advance

[kiwi]

Hi @GuidoKramer ,

Yes it is possible.

Check out the following page for best practices for securing admin access and for remote access to the management network :

best-practices-for-securing-administrative-access

Cheers !

-Kiwi.

[GuidoKramer]

OK, I added a new security policy with the information mentioned on the page "Best Practices for Securing Administrative Access". When I tried to initiate a session with my web browser I can see that the hit count of this policy raises; but still the login prompt does not appear in the browser.

Of course, the network from which I initiate the connection was added to "Device --> Setup --> Interface --> Management --> Permitted IP Addresses".

Or do I have to connect via GlobalProtect?

[kiwi]

Hi,

I don't know how you're routing is set up.

I say this because the mgmt port is usually out-of-band.

Alternatives:

You can use a bastion host as explained in the best practices link

You can configure a mgmt profile on your tunnel interface (if it's numbered) or use a mgmt profile on a loopback interface.

Cheers !

-Kiwi.

[S.Cantwell]

Resolve this a few ways

1) GP is best/secure, so use that if you can.

2) Clientless VPN (connect to portal of FW on the GUI page, and have a widget to web into the mgmt IP of 2nd FW

3) Port forwarding of a NAT'd address, to the mgmt IP of the 2nd FW.

Untrust --> Untrust --> publicIPofSomething -- (port XXYZ)  Xlate to Mgmt-IPof2ndFW. on 443

Now, create a security policy that allow access from Untrust to (InternalZone) publicIPofSomething (port XXYZ)

Those are a few ways to do this.  Some secure, others just engineering a solution.  😛

[tjjohnso]

Guido,

Did you ever get this working? How did you end up setting this up?

[SirchRettop]

I to would like to know the resolution

[tjjohnso]

I setup a loopback interface with an IP address on the inside of the firewall and assigned it an IP and management profile. That worked well. Let me know if you need more detail.

[Efrain_Olmos]

Hi

I am interested in knowing how you did that configuration

Regards

[aleksandar.astardzhiev]

Hi @Efrain_Olmos ,

You need to understand that PAN firewalls have strict separation between management plane and data plane including the routing for the mgmt and data interfaces. So there is no way to route traffic received by data plane interface to the dedicated management interface, without sending this traffic via another device (switch or router).

As mentioned earlier most straight forward approach would be to create loopback, assign it with mgm-int profile and build IPsec tunnel that will accept traffic destine to that loopback (assigning the tunnel interface with IP will also do the trick).

Basically it is the same approach if you use GlobalProtect, the same concept, but the tunnel is client-to-site, not site-to-site.

The biggest disadvantage of these approaches is if you have active-passive HA you will be able to reach only the current active member (since both members in the cluster are sharing one ip).

So if you want to monitor both members at the same time - any solution that involves dataplane interface with interface-management profile will not work. You will need to use the dedicated/oob management port. In that case you will need to use additional switch or a router that will make the connection between the dataplane interface and the mgmt. For example - you can connect the inside interface and mgmt interface to the same vlan, so when you build the ipsec traffic will first exit the fw, pass the layer2 switch and go to the mgmt interface. Or if the site is bit bigger and you use different networks/vlans for the mgmt and the inside you can put a route on the fw that it needs to route to the mgmt network via the core switch.

[tjjohnso]

Create a Management Profile that permits HTTPS, SSH, Ping, etc. 

Choose Network > Loopback > Create a Loopback interface with an IP address on the inside of the firewall > Assign the management profile you created and your Virtual Router

Go to Device > Setup > Services > Service Route Configuration > Choose what services you need to traverse the VPN tunnel through your new loopback interface

That should be it, hopefully it helps!

[Efrain_Olmos]

Thanks a lot for the explanation 

[tjjohnso]

No problem, did that work for you?