Table Of Contents
Release Notes for Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client,
Release 2.4In-the-Clear DNS Queries Allowed with Split Tunneling Enabled
Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP)
Prompting Users to Select Authentication Certificate
Internet Explorer Connections Tab Lockdown
Proxy Auto-Configuration File Generation for Clientless Support
FIPS and Additional Security in the New AnyConnect Local Policy
Licensing Requirements for the FIPS-Compliant VPN Client
Mac OS X 10.6 Sends All DNS Queries in the Clear
Flexibility in Sequence and Method Used to Install Start Before Logon and DART Components
Diagnostic AnyConnect Reporting Tool (DART)
Security Appliances and Software Supported
Release Notes for Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client,
Release 2.4
Published: November 17, 2009OL-20842-03This document includes the following sections:
Introduction
The Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client provides remote users with secure VPN connections to the Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliance using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol and the Datagram TLS (DTLS) protocol.
AnyConnect provides remote end users with the benefits of a Cisco SSL VPN client, and supports applications and functions unavailable to a clientless, browser-based SSL VPN connection. It runs on Microsoft Windows, Windows Mobile, Linux, and Mac OS X, and supports connections to IPv6 resources over an IPv4 network tunnel. You can upload the client to the security appliance to automatically download to remote users when they log in, or you can download and install it on the endpoint. You can configure the security appliance to uninstall AnyConnect from the endpoint after the connection terminates, or it can remain on the remote PC for future SSL VPN connections.
In addition to the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance 5500 Series, Cisco IOS supports AnyConnect. For more information, see the Cisco IOS SSL VPN Data Sheet.
New Supported Platforms
AnyConnect Client 2.4 runs on the following new platforms:
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Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit). See "System Requirements."
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New Feature Overviews
The following sections describe the new features in Release 2.4:
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In-the-Clear DNS Queries Allowed with Split Tunneling Enabled
If the group policy on the security appliance enables split tunneling and if it specifies the DNS names to be tunneled, AnyConnect tunnels any DNS queries that match those names to the private DNS server. If the private DNS server cannot resolve the host name, AnyConnect lets the DNS resolver on the client OS submit the host name in the clear for DNS resolution.
On the other hand, if a DNS query does not match one of the DNS names specified in the group policy, AnyConnect lets the DNS resolver on the client OS submit the host name in the clear for DNS resolution.
AnyConnect tunnels all DNS queries if the group policy does not specify any domains to be tunneled.
This feature requires that you:
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Note
To configure this feature, establish an ASDM connection to the security appliance, choose Configuration > Remote Access VPN > Network (Client) Access > Group Policies> Add or Edit > Advanced > Split Tunneling, and enter the names of the domains to be tunneled into the DNS Names text box.
Trusted Network Detection
Trusted Network Detection (TND) gives you the ability to have AnyConnect automatically disconnect a VPN connection when the user is inside the corporate network (the trusted network) and start the VPN connection when the user is outside the corporate network (the untrusted network). This feature encourages greater security awareness by initiating a VPN connection when the user is outside the trusted network.
AnyConnect supports TND on Windows XP and later, and Mac OS X.
Note
Multiple profiles on a user computer may present problems if the user alternates connecting to a security appliance that has TND enabled and to one that does not. If the user has connected to a TND-enabled security appliance in the past, that user has received a TND-enabled profile. If the user reboots the computer when out of the trusted network, the GUI of the TND-enabled client displays and attempts to connect to the security appliance it was last connected to, which could be the one that does not have TND enabled. If the client connects to the TND-enabled security appliance, and the user wishes to connect to the non-TND security appliance, the user must manually disconnect and then connect to the non-TND security appliance. Please consider these problems before enabling TND when the user may be connecting to security appliances with and without TND.
The following workarounds will help you prevent this problem:
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For a complete description with instructions, go to Configuring AnyConnect Client Features in the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 2.4.
Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP)
The AnyConnect 2.4 standalone client can employ the Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) to provision and renew a certificate used for client authentication. The goal of SCEP is to support the secure issuance of certificates to network devices in a scalable manner, using existing technology whenever possible.
In our implementation of SCEP, AnyConnect sends a certificate request and the certificate authority (CA) automatically accepts or denies the request. (The SCEP protocol also allows for a method where the client requests a certificate and then polls the CA until it receives an accept or deny response. The polling method is not implemented in this release.)
AnyConnect users have one task associated with this feature. If the user profile is configured to have users request a certificate manually, users see a button in the AnyConnect GUI labeled Get Certificate or Enroll. AnyConnect users do not need to know, and will not know, what method AnyConnect uses to retrieve the certificate.
AnyConnect administers configure the use of SCEP requests in the user profile. For a complete description with instructions, go to Configuring AnyConnect Client Features in the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 2.4.
Prompting Users to Select Authentication Certificate
In previous releases, when users authenticated their AnyConnect session using a certificate, AnyConnect provided the matching certificate without involving the user. Starting in this release, AnyConnect can be configured to present users with a list of valid certificates and allow them to choose the certificate with which they want to authenticate their session.
This enhancement is implemented in AnyConnect by configuring the <AutomaticCertSelection> element in the client profile.
This enhancement is available only for the non-mobile Windows operating systems that AnyConnect supports.
For a complete description with instructions, go to Configuring AnyConnect Client Features in the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 2.4.
Scripting
AnyConnect Release 2.4 lets you download and run scripts when the following events occur:
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Thus, the establishment of a new AnyConnect VPN session initiated by Trusted Network Detection triggers the OnConnect script (assuming the requirements are satisfied to run the script). The reconnection of a persistent AnyConnect VPN session after a network disruption does not trigger the OnConnect script.
We assume you know how to write scripts and run them from the command line of the targeted endpoint to test them.
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Requirements and limitations apply. For a complete description with instructions, go to Configuring AnyConnect Client Features in the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 2.4.
Proxy Support Enhancement
The proxy support enhancement features the following components new to AnyConnect Release 2.4.
Mac/Safari Private Proxy
AnyConnect downloads the proxy settings configured in the group policy to the Safari browser after the tunnel is established. The settings return to their original state after the VPN session ends.
To access the proxy settings, establish an ASDM session with the security appliance and choose Configuration > Remote Access VPN > Network (Client) Access > Group Policies > Add or Edit > Advanced > IE Browser Proxy. Except for the "Do not use proxy" parameter, the proxy service configured in this window now applies to both Internet Explorer and Safari. The Do not use proxy parameter, if enabled, applies only to Internet Explorer.
Internet Explorer Connections Tab Lockdown
Under certain conditions, AnyConnect hides the Internet Explorer Tools > Internet Options > Connections tab. When exposed, this tab lets the user set proxy information. Hiding this tab prevents the user from intentionally or unintentionally circumventing the tunnel. The tab lockdown is reversed on disconnect, and it is superseded by any administrator-defined policies regarding that tab. The conditions under which this lockdown occurs are either of the following:
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Proxy Auto-Configuration File Generation for Clientless Support
Some versions of the security appliance require extra AnyConnect configuration to continue to allow clientless portal access through a proxy server after establishing an AnyConnect session. AnyConnect now uses a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file to modify the client-side proxy settings to let this occur. AnyConnect generates this file only if the ASA does not specify private-side proxy settings.
CSD Integration
AnyConnect 2.4 is more tightly integrated with Cisco Secure Desktop (CSD) beginning with CSD 3.5. With this enhancement, the user prompts are displayed as soon as the pre-login scan completes. Typically, this is faster than waiting for the entire hostscan process to run its course. If your site uses AnyConnect 2.4 with CSD 3.4 or earlier, or if your site uses AnyConnect 2.3 with CSD 3.5, you will not receive the benefits of this integration.
CSD 3.5 is backwards-compatible with earlier versions of AnyConnect and AnyConnect 2.4 is backwards-compatible with earlier versions of CSD. If an AnyConnect user is configured to use CSD, AnyConnect 2.4 will deploy the version of CSD installed on the ASA, even if a later version of CSD is already installed on the host.
AnyConnect 2.4 will display and log descriptive posture assessment messages and installation messages passed to it from CSD 3.5. Other than these messages, AnyConnect users will have no interaction with this enhancement in 2.4.
PEM File Certificate Store
AnyConnect supports certificate authentication using a file store. Instead of relying on browsers to verify and sign certificates, the client reads Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) format certificate files from the file system on the remote computer, and verifies and signs them.
AnyConnect supports the PEM file certificate store for all Linux and Mac OS X platforms currently supported by the client.
Requirements and limitations apply. For a complete description with instructions, go to Configuring AnyConnect Client Features in the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 2.4.
FIPS and Additional Security in the New AnyConnect Local Policy
The AnyConnect Local Policy specifies additional security parameters for the AnyConnect VPN client, including operating in a mode compliant with Level 1 of the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), 140-2, a U.S. government standard for specific security requirements for cryptographic modules. The FIPS 140-2 standard applies to all federal agencies that use cryptographic-based security systems to protect sensitive information in computer and telecommunication systems.
Other parameters in the AnyConnect Local Policy increase security by forbidding remote updates to prevent Man-in-the-Middle attacks and by preventing non-administrator or non-root users from modifying client settings.
AnyConnect Local Policy parameters reside in an XML file called AnyConnectLocalPolicy.xml. This file is not deployed by the security appliance. You must deploy this file using corporate software deployment systems or change the file manually on a user computer.
For Windows, we provide a Microsoft Transform (MST) file that you can apply to the standard MST installation file to enable FIPS. The MST does not change other AnyConnect Local Policy parameters. You can also use our Enable FIPS tool, a command line tool that can only be run on Windows using administrator privileges or as a root user for Linux and Mac.
Alternatively, you can obtain a copy of the AnyConnect Local Policy file from a client installation, manually edit the parameters, and deploy it to user computers. For Mac OS X and Linux, you can only use our Enable FIPS tool.
Requirements and limitations apply. For a complete description with instructions, go to Configuring AnyConnect Client Features in the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 2.4.
Licensing Requirements for the FIPS-Compliant VPN Client
The FIPS-compliant AnyConnect VPN client is licensed based on the ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliance model. Each security appliance model requires a different license. The license does not affect the number of allowed concurrent VPN sessions.
When you purchase the FIPS license, you receive the license and instructions on enabling FIPS, including how to download and use our Enable FIPS tool or our MST file that enables FIPS.
Table 1 shows the Product numbers (also called SKUs) of the licenses for each security appliance model:
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New Guidelines
The following guidelines are new for Release 2.4. For previously documented guidelines that pertain to Release 2.4, go to the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 2.4.
Changes to OSs Supported
AnyConnect 2.4 now supports Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), and Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.6.1 (both 32-bit and 64-bit). AnyConnect 2.4 no longer supports Microsoft Windows 2000 and Mac OS X 10.4, although it may work with these OSs.
Customers running Mac OS X 10.4 must upgrade to 10.5 before upgrading to AnyConnect 2.4. We will continue to support Mac OS X 10.4 users running pre-2.4 versions until we end-of-life those versions.
AnyConnect 2.4 now supports Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Desktop and Ubuntu 9.x. We do not validate other Linux distributions. We will consider requests to validate other Linux distributions for which you experience issues, and provide fixes at our discretion.
Mac OS X 10.6 Sends All DNS Queries in the Clear
With split-DNS enabled, Mac OS X 10.6 sends all DNS queries in the clear. It should send DNS queries targeting split-DNS domains over the VPN session. Apple plans to resolve this issue in an upcoming update.
Flexibility in Sequence and Method Used to Install Start Before Logon and DART Components
Previously, in order to use the Start Before Logon components for Windows, the same installation method was required for both AnyConnect and the Start Before Logon components. Both needed to be pre-deployed or both needed to be web-deployed. AnyConnect Release 2.4 eliminates this requirement. This allows the client to be deployed by one method and, perhaps at a later time, the Start Before Logon components to be installed by the same or another method. The Start Before Logon component still has the requirement that AnyConnect be installed first.
Another new behavior for AnyConnect Release 2.4 is that if SBL or DART is manually uninstalled from an endpoint that then connects, these components will be re-installed. This behavior will only occur if the head-end configuration specifies that these components be installed and the preferences (set on the endpoint) permit upgrades. Previously these components would not be re-installed in this scenario without uninstalling and re-installing AnyConnect.
AnyConnect Tools
Cisco makes the AnyConnect tools described in the following sections available to you for your convenience; however, these tools are in a beta release state.
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Profile Editor
The AnyConnect profile is an XML file that drives the display in the user interface and defines the names and addresses of host computers. You can differentiate access to the AnyConnect features by creating and assigning different AnyConnect profiles to group policies configured on the security appliance. Following assignment to the group policies, the security appliance automatically pushes the one assigned to the user's group policy upon connection setup.
The Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide, Version 2.4 describes how to add the features to the AnyConnect profile manually. The AnyConnect VPN Software Download site provides access to the Profile Editor to create and edit AnyConnect 2.4 user profiles as an alternative to editing them manually; however, it is in a beta release state. Preliminary testing has been favorable; however, if you choose to use this tool, please observe precautions appropriate for a beta release.
Caution
Diagnostic AnyConnect Reporting Tool (DART)
DART is the Diagnostic AnyConnect Reporting Tool that you can use to collect data useful for troubleshooting AnyConnect install and connection problems. DART supports Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS, and Linux operating systems.
The DART wizard runs on the computer that runs AnyConnect Client. DART assembles the logs, status, and diagnostic information for Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) analysis. DART does not require administrator privileges to run.
DART does not rely on any component of the AnyConnect software to run, though you can launch DART from AnyConnect, and DART collects the AnyConnect log file, if it is available.
Any version of DART works with any version of AnyConnect; the version numbers of each are no longer synchronized. To optimize DART, we recommend downloading the most recent version available on the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Software Download site, regardless of the AnyConnect version you are using.
DART is currently available as a standalone installation, or the administrator can push this application to the client PC as part of the AnyConnect dynamic download infrastructure. Once installed, the end user can start the DART wizard from the Cisco folder available through the Start button.
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For a complete description with instructions, go to Managing, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting AnyConnect Connections in the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 2.4.
System Requirements
AnyConnect does not support virtualization software such as VMWare for any platform or Parallels Desktop for Mac OS. AnyConnect 2.4 running over VMware or Microsoft Virtual PC on Windows 7 is not 100% reliable, but initial testing suggests the results are usually favorable.
AnyConnect does not support sessions with a security appliance running on the same subnet as the endpoint.
Microsoft Windows
For WebLaunch, use Internet Explorer 6.0+ or Firefox 2.0+, and enable ActiveX or install Sun JRE 1.4+.
Windows Versions
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AnyConnect requires a clean install if you upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.
If you upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7, manually uninstall AnyConnect first, then after the upgrade, reinstall it manually or by establishing a web-based connection to a security appliance configured to install it. Uninstalling before the upgrade and reinstalling AnyConnect afterwards is necessary because the upgrade does not preserve the Cisco AnyConnect Virtual Adapter.
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AnyConnect requires a clean install if you upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista.
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Windows Requirements
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Linux
AnyConnect supports only standalone installations on Linux. The following sections show the supported Linux distributions and requirements.
Linux Distributions
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We do not validate other Linux distributions. We will consider requests to validate other Linux distributions for which you experience issues, and provide fixes at our discretion.
Linux Requirements
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gdk 2.0.0,
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Mac OS
AnyConnect 2.4 supports the following versions of Mac OS:
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AnyConnect requires 50MB of hard disk space.
If you upgrade from one major Mac OS X release to another (for example 10.5 to 10.6), manually uninstall AnyConnect first, then after the upgrade, reinstall it manually or by establishing a web-based connection to a security appliance configured to install it. Uninstalling before the upgrade and reinstalling AnyConnect afterwards is necessary because the upgrade does not preserve the Cisco AnyConnect Virtual Adapter.
Windows Mobile
We designed AnyConnect 2.4 for compatibility with Windows Mobile 6.1, 6.0 and 5.0 Professional and Classic for touch-screens only. Users have reported success with most touch-screens running these versions of Windows Mobile. However, to ensure interoperability, we guarantee compatibility only with the devices we test. Table 2 lists the supported devices with their corresponding service providers and supported operating system versions.
Security Appliances and Software Supported
The Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client supports all Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance models. It does not support PIX devices. See the Adaptive Security Appliance VPN Compatibility Reference: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/security/asa/compatibility/asa-vpn-compatibility.html for a complete list of compatibility requirements.
Table 3 shows the minimum Cisco ASA 5500 Adaptive Security Appliance software images that support AnyConnect.
Table 3 Software Images that Support AnyConnect, Release 2.4
ASA Boot image
8.0(3).1 or later
Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM)
6.1(3).1 or later
Cisco Secure Desktop
3.2(2)1 or later
1 Cisco Secure Desktop, Release 3.2(1) is compatible, but it provides more limited functions.
AnyConnect Support Policy
We support all AnyConnect software versions available on the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Software Download site; however, we provide fixes and enhancements only in maintenance or feature releases based on the most recently released version.
Caveats
Caveats describe unexpected behavior or defects in Cisco software releases. The following lists caveats with Severities 2 and 3.
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Open Caveats
Table 4 lists the caveats that are unresolved in Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Release 2.4.0201.
Resolved Caveats
Table 5 shows the caveats that AnyConnect VPN Client Release 2.4.0201 resolves.
Notices/Licensing
See the following sections for Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client license information.
License Options
For brief descriptions and example product numbers (SKUs) of the AnyConnect user license options, see Cisco Secure Remote Access: VPN Licensing Overview.
For the latest detailed information about the AnyConnect user license options, see Managing Feature Licenses in the Cisco ASA 5500 Series Configuration Guide using the CLI, 8.2.
End-User License Agreement
For the end-user license agreement, go to: http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/es_inpck/eu1jen__.pdf
OpenSSL/Open SSL Project
This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org/).
This product includes cryptographic software written by Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com).
This product includes software written by Tim Hudson (tjh@cryptsoft.com).
For Open Source License information for this product, please see the following link: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/security/asa/asa80/license/opensrce.html#wp50053.
Related Documentation
For more information, refer to the following documentation:
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http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/security/asa/roadmap/asaroadmap.html
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