Checkpoint Remote Access 'connection failed' Issue with Windows 8 or 8.1

I have seen this issue in couple of clients, they were using windows 8 and windows 8.1.

They tried to connect with Remote Access Client E75.30, but 'connection failed' popup displayed straight away. There are couple of SKs about duplicate IP addresses etc.

Simply, Remote Access Clients E80.42 msi file (MSI) is the way to go.

Details: File Name: CP_EPS_E80.42_RAC_Windows.msi Product: Endpoint Security VPN Version: R80 Minor Version: E80.42 OS: Windows MD5: 054fda63c4fcc84eeb4e465235ee5254 Size: 15.90 MB Date Published: 12/10/2013

It worked a treat.

Debug Policy Install

Debugging a manual policy pull from the enforcement point, and push from the SmartCenter, like so:

fw -d fetch <SmartCenter server IP address>

• fw -d fetchlocal -d $FWDIR/state/__tmp/FW1 &> <output file>

cpd.elg files from $CPDIR/log from the firewall



Push from the Smart Center to enforcement point;

fwm -d load policy_name gateway_name 2> <filename>.txt

Policy installation fails with "ERROR: function or table < pgm_len_block_code > undefined" and ".../conf/updates.def"

SYMPTOMS

After upgrading a Security Management to R76, policy installation in SmartDashboard fails with the following errors: "/opt/.../conf/updates.def", line N: ERROR: syntax error "/opt/.../conf/<Policy_Name>.pf", line N: ERROR: function or table < pgm_len_block_code > undefined "/opt/.../conf/<Policy_Name>.pf", line N: ERROR: syntax error Compilation failed. Operation ended with errors. Debug of FWM daemon (per sk86186) shows the same 'ERROR: syntax error'. Hotfix for IPv6 flavor issue from sk92933 does not help.

CAUSE

IPS definitions are not up-to-date, or do not exist. SOLUTION Perform IPS Update in SmartDashboard. The issue occurred on R77 env. as well.

R77 is now available!

It seems to be the best one ever.

What's New in R77

New Threat Emulation Software Blade

The new Threat Emulation Software Blade blocks attacks which cannot be detected by signatures. It opens inspected files inside secure emulation environments to detect malicious behavior. It can be deployed as a cloud service or as a private (local) cloud.

New Check Point Compliance Blade

This new Software Blade analyzes your environment for compliance with major regulations and international standards. Check Point Compliance Blade generates detailed reports, with best practice recommendations taken from the large Check Point library. Check Point Compliance Blade sends alerts for policy changes that can affect compliance.

HyperSPECT Technology

Improvements to deep packet inspection engines boost performance for IPS and for Application and URL Filtering Software Blades Software Blades.

• Supports SMT (Hyper-Threading)
• Optimizations to DPI engines including streamers, parsers and pattern matching engines

Gaia Operating System Enhancements

• Centrally manage basic network configuration
• Back up and restore, run scripts, remote shell, and more, from a central console
• Synchronize cluster members with Gaia OS configuration cloning

Enhanced Gaia Software Updates

Update the Gaia operating system with the enhanced Automated Software Updates tool:

• Clean install of full image and upgrade of optimally sized package from the Check Point Cloud
• Up to 90% less downtime for Security Gateway upgrade
• Export and import of Gaia software update packages
• New WebUI features with enhanced usability

Enhanced Identity Awareness

• New identity acquisition method: RADIUS Accounting
• Automatic update of LDAP group membership changes
• Improved Identity Agent installation, with support for repair tools
• New MSI configuration tool for Agent distribution

...

a lot more at;

https://supportcenter.checkpoint.com/supportcenter/portal?eventSubmit_doGoviewsolutiondetails=&solutionid=sk92965

Sending Syslog flow to an External Log Server

Dear Checkpoint Fellows and Followers,

Syslog data is possible to be sent as shown in sk33423, however only from physical boxes.

If you have VSX infrastructure, it is not possible to send syslogs of each vsx customer to another syslog server. All and all..

Sincerely.

Checkpoint R77

Very excited to test the new blades! :)

Check Point R75.47 Released!

The release notes and the resolved issues, it’s mainly a maintenance or bug fix version.

There are a lot of fixed bugs.

It would be good to install the version firstly within the test environment, and then get it into production a.s.a.p.

License Info Tool / Checkpoint

License Tool for Checkpoint. I found it pretty useful actually as the license issues seem complicated most often. My Products > License Info Tool.

Identity Awareness - User & Machine Identification

Even though you see users and/or machines as acquired in Smart Dashboard, pdp monitor is the place where AD query comes in. If you do not see users/machines in pdp monitor, It means that Check Point did not actually acquire the users/machines.

pdp monitor all |more

pdp monitor all |grep machine/username

IPS Update: ips scheduled update ended with errors

Check the internet connection on SMC and Check dns config to see updates.checkpoint.com resolves to an IP.

To manually update the IPS database;

1- Close all GUI applications,
2- Open a GUIDBEdit to the SMC (Application:GuiDBedit.exe)
3- Search (Search->Find) for: autoupdate_and_install_status_obj

Once found you will see a field named status under that object.

4- Change the value of status 0
5- Save changes,close GUIDBEDIT
6- Open Dashboard and verify if the issue resolved.

Note : There is a fix for this issue, Request it from Support.

ClusterXL - Do not Consume Public IPs for ClusterXL

Configuring Cluster Addresses on Different Subnets

Only one routable IP address is required in a ClusterXL cluster, for the virtual cluster interface that faces the Internet. All cluster member physical IP addresses can be non-routable.Configuring different subnets for the cluster IP addresses and the member addresses is useful in order to:

- Enable a multi-machine cluster to replace a single-machine gateway in a pre-configured network, without the need to allocate new addresses to the cluster members.
- Allow organizations to use only one routable address for the ClusterXL Gateway Cluster. This saves routable addresses.

ClusterXL virtual IPs and your members physical (or VLAN) interfaces do not need to be on the same subnet. So you can simply use whichever addresses you like for each of the cluster interfaces (apart from internal/management and external/VPN-routable interfaces obviously). And of course this applies to physical untagged interfaces unlike our case too.
I settled for using  tiny Class B private space /30 subnets for each VLAN, enough for just our 2 cluster members like this. The topology would then look like this.

Smart Event & Reporter (CPU Peaks)

# evstop

# rm –r * $RTDIR/distrib/*

# evstart

SmartEvent konsolu içersinden policy install yapalım.

If not resolved,

# fw debug cpsemd on TDERROR_ALL_ALL=5

# fw debug cpsead on TDERROR_ALL_ALL=5

to end debug;

# fw debug cpsemd off TDERROR_ALL_ALL=0

# fw debug cpsead off TDERROR_ALL_ALL=0

Then check these files $RTDIR/log/cpsemd.elg* and $RTDIR/log/cpsead.elg*

Check Point - Identity Awareness (Security Event Logs)

Check Point Identity Awareness (had to supply all PDC in order to capture all IA.)

AD Query reads these events from the Security Event log:
 On Windows Server 2003 domain controllers - 672, 673, 674
 On Windows Server 2008 domain controllers - 4624, 4769, 4768, 4770

If the domain controller does not generate these events (by default they are generated), refer to Microsoft Active Directory documentation for instructions on how to configure these events.

VPN Debugging – Check Point

Vpn debug on – vpn debug off

$FWDIR/log/vpnd.elg

Vpn debug ikeon // vpn debug ikeoff

$FWDIR/log/ike.elg

vpn tu // remove all Sas for either the peer which are about the create the tunnel or all tunnels.

fw monitor –e ‘accept src=IP or dst=IP;’

SmartDashboard Connectivity Issues

Cpwd_admin list // check for the fwm whether it is up

fw debug fwm 0 TDERROR_ALL_ALL=5

tail –f $FWDIR/log/fwm.elg

Network Troubleshooting – Check Point

Route –n > routes.txt

ifconfig  -a > interfaces.txt

SecureXL is enabled or disabled <check on cpconfig>

fw monitor -e "accept src=IP_Number or dst=IP_Number;" -o monitor.out

fw ctl zdebug + drop > ctlzdebug.txt

fw ctl zdebug + dtop > ctlzdebug2.txt

[to stop the logging  “Ctrl + C”]

Removing old Check Point packages and files after an upgrade

Check Point releases a great script which erases old CP packages and files causing disc issues later on. Here it is;

Solution ID: sk91060 Product: Security Gateway, Security Management, 2012 Models Security Appliances, UTM-1, Power-1, Smart-1 Version: R70, R71, R75, R75.10, R75.20, R75.30, R75.40, R75.40VS OS: SecurePlatform 2.6, Gaia Platform / Model: All Date Created: 08-Jan-2013 Last Modified: 20-Jan-2013 Rate this document [Click on the stars to rate]

SYMPTOMS

After an upgrade, the packages of the old version are not deleted automatically. For example, when upgrading from R71 to R75, the old R71 packages and files remain on the system. This could lead to a disk space issue, especially after several upgrades.

Checkpoint IPSec VPN with Non-Checkpoint Products (Such as, PFsense, DrayTek etc.)

Non-Check Point products does not have "ike_use_largest_possible_subnets (supernetting)" feature, this is the reason why we need to disable that feature on Check Point.

(Exchanging keys with another vendor gateway uses largest possible subnet –Check Point uses the best possible subnet to increase the performance while doing IKE key exchanges by default)

DNS packets should not be allowed firstly, otherwise that results DNS resolution problems for VPN domains.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# dbedit

Enter Server name (ENTER for 'localhost'): 



Enter User Name: fwadmin

Enter User Password: abc123

Checkpoint Policy Installation (a lot of buggy stuff)

- No traffic
- while installing policy, a lot of non-meaningful messages;

Firstly, Check /opt whether it is full or not.. It is vital. believe me.

Disabling SNX Service (Outbound link of Security Gateway)

Disabling SNX Problem.

When you unchecked SSL Extender and SecureClient Mobile under VPN clients tab (Gateway Properties), the SNX service running on http/https (outbound link of FW) would be disabled as well. 

thanks