Hello Răzvan

Just to let you know we decided to use this bug to track the work in documenting Openswan to implement your, and other, examples.

Thank you for raising the bug.

Regards
Stephen

Hello, Stephen,

... and thanks for your interest in the matter!  :)

IMHO, since many people use Red Hat-based machines as routers and gateways, the VPN part tends to become a guide of its own (please see an external example http://docs.fortinet.com/fgt/handbook/50/fortigate-ipsec-50.pdf)


Here's a rough schema (draft), in order to treat things in an organised manner:


1. Overview on VPN networks (definition, generalities)
2. Types of VPNs
   2a. PPTP tunnels (dial-up)
   2b. GRE tunnels
   2c. IPSec tunnels
     2c.1 tunnel mode
     2c.2 transport mode
   2d. SSL tunnels (OpenVPN type)
   2e. Recommendations on types of VPNs, depending on actual application  (supported, unsupported by Red Hat, typical bandwidth performance, reliability)
3. VPN's interaction with firewalls
   3a. standard ports to be opened (for each VPN type)
   3b. interaction with Red Hat's default firewall system
   3c. interaction with other popular firewall systems (such as Shorewall)
4. VPN's interaction with Red Hat's network subsystem
   4a. the „network” service (manual editing of files under /etc/sysconfig)
   4b. the „NetworkManager” service (Network Manager plugins and various RPM packages for them)
   4c. starting tunnels automatically (at boot)
5. Configuring PPTP tunnels
   5a. Needed RPM packages for PPTP tunnels
   5b. Red Hat acting as PPTP server in site-to-site
   5c. Red Hat acting as PPTP client in site-to-site
   5d. Red Hat acting as PPTP server to GNU/Linux roadwarrior
   5e. Red Hat acting as PPTP server to Windows roadwarrior
   5f. PPTP tunnels traversing gateways (NAT+firewall)
   5g. Testing and troubleshooting PPTP tunnels
6. Configuring GRE tunnels
   6a. Needed RPM packages for GRE tunnels
   6b. site-to-site GRE tunnels
   6c. GRE tunnels traversing gateways (NAT+firewall)
   6d. Testing and troubleshooting GRE tunnels
7. Configuring IPSec tunnels
   7a. Necessary packages from Red Hat repos: ipsec-tools, Openswan, Strongswan
   7b. IKEv1 scenario (when the remote party imposes IKEv1, such as Windows XP)
   7c. IKEv2 scenario
   7d. Red Hat as IPSec server to GNU/Linux roadwarriors
   7e. Red Hat as IPSec server to Windows roadwarriors (Windows XP - IKEv1, Windows Vista or newer – IKEv2)
   7f. Testing and troubleshooting IPSec tunnels
8. Configuring SSL tunnels
   8a. Needed RPM packages for SSL tunnels
   8b. Red Hat gateways, site-to-site, using OpenVPN
   8c. roadwarrior-to-site using OpenVPN on Red Hat as server
     8c.1 GNU/Linux clients
     8c.2 Windows clients
   8d. roadwarrior-to-site using OpenVPN on Red Hat as client and other platform as server (Windows, Cisco, FortiGate, Vyatta, etc.)
   8e. SSL tunnels traversing gateways (NAT+firewall)
   8f. Testing and troubleshooting SSL tunnels
9. Routing through tunnels (various types)
   9a. using static routes on gateways
   9b. using Quagga on gateways
10.  Practical, real-world examples of VPNs (inclusing routing, firewalls, etc.)
            10.1 site-to-site with both Red Hat gateways
            10.2 roadwarrior-to site using Red Hat as server
            10.3 roadwarrior-to site using Red Hat as client
            10.4. hub-and-spokes corporate VPN
            10.5 site-to-site with Red Hat and other platform gateway (such as Cisco, Vyatta or FortiGate)


Best regards,
Răzvan

Please remove PPTP from the list of VPN software. It has been completely and utterly broken, and the recent PRISM revelations have shown the NSA simply decrypts all PPTP traffic. PPTP should _only_ be used when needed for connecting to an ISP. It should never _ever_ be used for encryption/VPN.

Hello,


@Paul Wouters:

While I TOTALLY agree with you regarding privacy matters, the lack of documentation won't stop people of using PPTP. The lack of proper documentation only create obscurity, uncertainity and bad days for admins.

While undesirable, PPTP *is* required in some situations. For example, a few governmental sites and banks in my country still use PPTP tunnels (mainly designed and supported for Windows XP clients) that remotely access some private facility of the site. These are client-initiated tunnels, passing through the corporate firewall to the bank's website. It's likely that this state of facts won't change very soon, so having good support for PPTP will allow a Red Hat client to compete (i.e. be usable) in such a conservative corporate environment.

Another scenario involves Windows XP laptops (roadwarriors) that wish to access the corporate HQ. While the use of a good IPSec client would be highly advisable, some roadwarrior laptops are not previously prepared by the sysadmin (and the endusers are totally unable to install an IPSec client themselves). So the only possible way is to use the PPTP client integrated in Windows XP.

BTW, including in the guide a few recomendations for good VPN clients for roadwarriors using other platforms (such as Windows XP, Windows 7&8, MacOS, Android, iOS, Blackberry, etc.) would be highly advisable.


@Stephen Wadeley

Thanks :)  Should the final users use Strongswan or Openswan on RHEL 6.x ? It's mainly IKEv1 vs. IKEv2... 


Best regards,
Răzvan

Hello Răzvan

For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5, you should use Openswan for IPsec VPN.


As per #c6 this bug is about documenting Openswan. We decided that because you had raised another bug about documenting OpenVPN. That bug is here: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=746173

Thank you

Hello Răzvan

As per comment 6, this bug is just to track the work in documenting the use of Openswan to set up a VPN.

See: https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/6/html/Security_Guide/sect-Security_Guide-Virtual_Private_Networks_VPNs.html

This was released previously, but because of Paul's comment 8 about pptp, and your response to it in comment 11, this bug was not closed. I decided to investigate to see if and where pptp was documented. I found that the use of pptp was not previously documented in the RHEL6 guides and so it is not easy to figure out how to warn users not to use pptp.

I then issued this command: man pptp
It said :
SEE ALSO
       pppd(8)

       Documentation in /usr/share/doc/pptp

I looked in /usr/share/doc/pptp-1.7.2

{note path is incorrect, or incomplete, in man page.}

I saw a file PROTOCOL-SECURITY

that file describes that ppptp is insecure.

I found a Red Hat Knowledgebase solution about pptp and have updated that now to say users should, among other things, read the discussion in /usr/share/doc/pptp-<version>/PROTOCOL-SECURITY before using pptp.

See: https://access.redhat.com/solutions/27969

I have also added a warning to the RHEL6 Security Guide, on the VPN section, to only use IPsec for VPNs in RHEL6.



I will now close this bug as we have met the original goals of this BZ and warned users not to use other methods without considering the risks.



 Thank you