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SSL VPN Remote User Guide
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Contents
SSL VPN Remote User GuideLast Updated: September 4, 2012
The SSL VPN feature (also known as WebVPN) provides support, in Cisco IOS software, for remote user access to enterprise networks from anywhere on the Internet. Remote access is provided through a Secure Socket Layer- (SSL-) enabled SSL Virtual Private Network (VPN) gateway. The SSL VPN gateway allows remote users to establish a secure VPN tunnel using a web browser. This feature provides a comprehensive solution that allows easy access to a broad range of web resources and web-enabled applications using native HTTP over SSL (HTTPS) browser support. This document describes how a remote user, whose enterprise network is configured for SSL VPN, can access the network by launching a browser and connecting to the SSL VPN gateway. For information about SSL VPN from the point of view of a system administrator, see the document SSL VPN.
Finding Feature InformationYour software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest caveats and feature information, see Bug Search Tool and the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the feature information table at the end of this module. Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required. SSL VPN Prerequisites for the Remote UserThe following prerequisites are required to start SSL VPN on a PC or device:
If pop-ups are disabled on the browser, SSL VPN does not warn you before disconnecting because of an idle timeout or a maximum connect time.
https://address where address is the IP address or Domain Name System (DNS) hostname of an interface of the SSL VPN gateway, for example https://10.89.192.163 or https://vpn.example.com.
Restrictions for SSL VPN Remote User GuideCisco AnyConnect VPN ClientCiscoAnyConnect VPN Client does not support the following:
Usernames and PasswordsThe table below lists the type of usernames and passwords that SSL VPN users might have to know.
Remote User InterfaceIf your enterprise network has been configured for SSL VPN, you can access the network by launching a browser and connecting to the SSL VPN gateway. Present your credentials and authenticate, and then a portal page (home page) of the enterprise site is displayed. The portal page displays SSL VPN features (for example, e-mail and web browsing) to which you have access on the basis of your credentials. If you have access to all features enabled on the SSL VPN gateway, the home page will provide access links. The following sections explain the remote user interface in more detail:
Page FlowThis section describes the page flow process (see the figure) for a SSL VPN session. When you enter the HTTPS URL (https://address ) into your browser, you are then redirected to https://address /index.html, where the login page is located.
Initial ConnectionWhen you connect for the first time, you might be presented with one of the following scenarios: 503 Service Unavailable MessageYou might see a "503 Service Unavailable" message if the gateway is experiencing high traffic loads. If you receive this message, try to connect again later. SSL TLS CertificateWhen the HTTPS connection is established, a warning about the SSL/Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificate may display. If the warning displays, you should install this certificate. If the warning does not display, the system already has a certificate that the browser trusts. You are then connected to the login page. Login PageThe default login page (see figure below) prompts you to enter your username and password, which are entered into an HTML form. If an authentication failure occurs, the login page displays an error message. Certificate AuthenticationClient certificate authentication is not supported. Only username and password authentication is supported. Logout PageThe logout page (figure below) displays if you click the logout link or if the session terminates because of an idle timeout or a maximum connection time. Portal PageThe portal page (figure below) is the main page for the SSL VPN functionality. See the callouts for functions that exist for administrators and users. The table below provides information about various fields on the portal page.
Remote ServersYou may enter an address or URL path of a website that you want to visit in the text box on the portal page. Pages from the remote server are displayed in the browser window. You can then browse to other links on the page. ToolbarA toolbar has been introduced to help you access the SSL VPN functionalities that are outside the portal page. The toolbar is in the upper right corner of the figure below and is outlined in red. The toolbar is expanded below in the figure below. The sections that follow it explain how to use the toolbar icons.
Web BrowsingThe web browser is the plus icon (see the figure below). If you click the web browsing icon, the toolbar expands so that you can enter a URL (see the following figure). When a remote user goes to a URL through the URL address bar, the window that is already open is used for display. Moving the ToolbarThe push-pin icon (see the figure below) allows you to move the toolbar to the right or left side of the portal page. Returning to the Portal PageThe house icon allows you to return to the portal page (see the figure below). If the portal page is present in the parent window and you click to return to the portal page, your screen jumps back (sets the focus) to that window; otherwise, the current page is loaded with the portal page. Adding the Current Page to the Personal Bookmark FolderYou can add the current page to your personal bookmark folder by clicking the page-with-a-plus icon (see the figure below). Session TimeoutYou receive a warning message approximately 1 minute before the session is set to expire, and you receive another message when the session expires. On the workstation, the local time indicates when the message was displayed. The first message will be similar to the following: "Your session will expire in x seconds due to inactivity. Click Close to reset the inactivity timer. (browser time and date)" (See the figure below.) The last message, as shown below in the figure, displays when the time runs out (depending on whether the reason of the session termination is known): TCP Port Forwarding and Thin Client
When you click the Start button of the Thin Client application (under Application Access), a new window is displayed. This window initiates the downloading of a port-forwarding applet. Another window is then displayed. This window asks you to verify the certificate with which this applet is signed. When you accept the certificate, the applet starts running, and port-forwarding entries are displayed (see the figure below). The number of active connections and bytes that are sent and received is also listed on this window. The administrator should have configured IP addresses, DNS names, and port numbers for the e-mail servers. If they are configured, you can launch the e-mail client, which is configured to contact these e-mail servers and send and receive e-mails. Point of Presence3 (POP3), Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) protocols are supported. The window attempts to close automatically if you are logged out using JavaScript. If the session terminated and a new port forwarding connection is established, the applet displays an error message.
The table below lists the requirements for Thin Client (Port Forwarding) on your PC or device.
Tunnel ConnectionIn a typical clientless remote access scenario, you establish an SSL tunnel to move data to and from the internal networks at the application layer (for example, web and e-mail). In tunnel mode, you use an SSL tunnel to move data at the network (IP) layer. Therefore, tunnel mode supports most IP-based applications. Tunnel mode supports many popular corporate applications (for example, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes E-mail, and Telnet). The tunnel connection is determined by the group policy configuration. The Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client (next-generation SSL VPN Client) is downloaded and installed on your PC, and the tunnel connection is established after the installation. By default, Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client is removed from your PC after the connection is closed. However, you have the option to keep the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client installed on your PC. User-Level BookmarkingEffective with Cisco IOS Release 12.4(15)T, you can bookmark URLs while connected through an SSL VPN tunnel. You can access the bookmarked URLs by clicking the URL. InternationalizationThe Internationalization feature allows you to select any language your administrator has imported to view certain SSL VPN web pages (currently: login message, title page, and URL lists). The figure below shows a portal page in English, as shown in the language selection box. The figure below shows a portal page in Japanese, as shown in the language selection box. Security TipsYou should always log out from the SSL VPN session when you are finished. (To log out of SSL VPN, click the logout icon on the SSL VPN toolbar or quit the browser.) Using SSL VPN does not ensure that communication with every site is secure. SSL VPN ensures the security of data transmission between your PC or workstation and the SSL VPN gateway on the corporate network. If you then access a non-HTTPS web resource (located on the Internet or on the internal network), the communication from the corporate SSL VPN gateway to the destination web server is not secured. Browser Caching and Security ImplicationsIf you access SSL VPN through a public or shared Internet system, such as an Internet cafe or kiosk, to ensure the security of your information after terminating or logging out of the SSL VPN session, you must delete all files that you have saved on the PC during the SSL VPN session. These files are not removed automatically upon disconnect. Thin Client-Recovering from Hosts File ErrorIt is important that you close the Thin Client window properly by clicking the close icon. If you do not close the window properly, the following could occur:
These errors can result if you terminate the Thin Client window in any improper way: How SSL VPN Uses the Hosts FileThe hosts file on your system maps IP addresses to hostnames. When you start Thin Client, SSL VPN modifies the hosts file by adding SSL VPN-specific entries. When you stop Thin Client by properly closing the Thin Client window, SSL VPN returns the hosts file to its original state. The hosts file goes through the following states:
What Happens If You Stop Thin Client ImproperlyIf you improperly terminate Thin Client, the hosts file is left in the SSL VPN-customized state. SSL VPN checks for this possibility the next time you start Thin Client by searching for a hosts.webvpn file. If SSL VPN finds the file, you receive a "Backup HOSTS File Found" error message, and Thin Client is temporarily disabled. If you improperly shut down Thin Client, you leave the remote access client or server applications in a suspended state. If you start these applications without using SSL VPN, the applications might malfunction. You might find that hosts that you normally connect to are unavailable. This situation could commonly occur if you run applications remotely from home, fail to quit the Thin Client window before shutting down the computer, and then try to run the applications later from the office. What to DoTo reenable Thin Client or malfunctioning applications, you should do the following: Reconfiguring the Hosts File Automatically Using SSL VPN If you can connect to your remote access server, you should follow these steps to reconfigure the hosts file and reenable both Thin Client and the applications: DETAILED STEPS
Reconfiguring the Hosts File ManuallyIf you cannot connect to your remote access server from your current location, or if you have customized the hosts file and do not want to lose your edits, you should follow these steps to reconfigure the hosts file and reenable both Thin Client and the applications: DETAILED STEPS Troubleshooting GuidelinesThe table below provides a list of messages notifying you of various problems, causes, and fixes.
Additional ReferencesRelated Documents
MIBsTechnical Assistance
Feature Information for SSL VPN for Remote UsersThe following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature. Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
NoticesThe following notices pertain to this software license. OpenSSL Open SSL ProjectThis 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). License IssuesThe OpenSSL toolkit stays under a dual license, i.e. both the conditions of the OpenSSL License and the original SSLeay license apply to the toolkit. See below for the actual license texts. Actually both licenses are BSD-style Open Source licenses. In case of any license issues related to OpenSSL please contact openssl-core@openssl.org. OpenSSL License:Copyright © 1998-2007 The OpenSSL Project. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
"This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit ( http://www.openssl.org/ )". THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE OpenSSL PROJECT "AS IS"' AND ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE OpenSSL PROJECT OR ITS CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. This product includes cryptographic software written by Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com). This product includes software written by Tim Hudson (tjh@cryptsoft.com). Original SSLeay License:Copyright © 1995-1998 Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com). All rights reserved. This package is an SSL implementation written by Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com). The implementation was written so as to conform with Netscapes SSL. This library is free for commercial and non-commercial use as long as the following conditions are adhered to. The following conditions apply to all code found in this distribution, be it the RSA, lhash, AES, etc., code; not just the SSL code. The SSL documentation included with this distribution is covered by the same copyright terms except that the holder is Tim Hudson (tjh@cryptsoft.com). Copyright remains Eric Young's, and as such any Copyright notices in the code are not to be removed. If this package is used in a product, Eric Young should be given attribution as the author of the parts of the library used. This can be in the form of a textual message at program startup or in documentation (online or textual) provided with the package. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
"This product includes cryptographic software written by Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com)". The word 'cryptographic' can be left out if the routines from the library being used are not cryptography-related.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY ERIC YOUNG "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. The license and distribution terms for any publicly available version or derivative of this code cannot be changed. i.e. this code cannot simply be copied and put under another distribution license [including the GNU Public License]. Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R) Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and phone numbers used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses and phone numbers. Any examples, command display output, network topology diagrams, and other figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses or phone numbers in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental. © 2012 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
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