Enforcing Global Protect Connection Issue

[Josh990]

Hi All,

Has anyone who's implemented the Enforce Global Protect connection option had issues permitting remote support applications?

I've tried adding the required wildcarded FQDN's to the Global Protect Portal under App Configurations but no joy yet.

Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue?

[BPry]

@Josh990,

What exactly are you trying to do, have it bypass the tunnel? 

[Josh990]

Correct, my thinking is that if an end user cannot connect to the Gateway for whatever reason but the Global Protect Client is still preventing internet access we'd be unable to provide them with remote support unless we used the static disable passcode.

[Sec101]

Commenting here to follow.   

[BPry]

@Josh990,

So I've only done this in my lab, but it appears to work as I would expect without any issues and I can access allowed resources without issue. I think the difference here though is that you're trying to access the machine remotely through this method right? So you're trying to allow access to some service such as logmein or something like that so you can then remote into the machine? 

[Sec101]

The connect to FQDN while enforcing is a 5.2 feature isn't it?   Are there any catches/issues to that?

[Josh990]

@BPry Correct, so the remote support client app needs to pull down a code on the impacted endpoint for use by the admin on their host software, who then establishes the remote connection.

Under my current testing using a pilot Portal Agent config, the connection doesn't work and a code isn't even pulled down.

We have the required FQDNs added into App Configurations but there is also an additional TCP port that may be required (I think we'll need to permit this on the Windows Firewall).

[Josh990]

I think it's also available and working in earlier versions too - although in very old versions (e.g. <5) it doesn't work properly.

[BPry · Accepted solution]

@Josh990,

Just FYI, the FQDN exclusions aren't supported in anything prior to 5.2, the only exclusions you can configure prior to 5.2 is IP based exclusions. 

[Josh990]

Ah I think that might be the issue then, so despite the option being present in PAN-OS on the GP Portal, it won't work whatsoever for versions of Global Protect older than 5.2?

[BPry]

@Josh990,

Correct. The options are tied to your PAN-OS version and your content-update release; the firewall doesn't take your deployed agent version into account when listing options. 

[Josh990]

Ok, that makes sense. I'll deploy a later compatible version and test again. Thanks

[Josh990]

Works fine now since upgrading to 5.2.4. Cheers