Firewalls, Routers, Switches

Collecting configuration information from the device console can be an easy way to get the device data.

Following the below rules will help ensure success when importing the files into NP-View.

Note that not all data can be retrieved from the console. Please review the section for you specific device for additional instructions.

1. Run the command from the console.
2. Copy the text to a plain text editor. Do not use Word or any fancy text editor as it will inject special characters that we cannot read.
3. Review the file and look for non text characters like percent encoded text or wingdings like characters. These will break the parser.
4. Save the output of each command in a separate file and name it after the device so that NP-View can properly attribute the files. For example: firewall1_config.txt, firewall1_arp.txt, firewall1_route.txt
5. For Palo Alto files, there are specific naming requirements, please see the Palo Alto section for additional information.
6. Some config files contain very long strings. Line wrapping due to the window size of the terminal will break the parser. If using a terminal like Putty, please ensure the terminal is set to maximum width.

config system console
set output standard
end

Finally, if you encounter a parsing error when loading the files and want to upload the files to Network Perception using the portal, please sanitize all files at the same time so that we can keep the data synchroized across the files.

BSD has three firewalls built into the base system: PF, IPFW, and IPFILTER, also known as IPF FreeBSD

• Packet Filtering (PF): Rules located in file /etc/pf.conf
• IP Firewall (IPFW): Default rules are found in /etc/rc.firewall. Custom firewall rules in any file provided through # sysrc firewall_script=”/etc/ipfw.rules”
• IP Filter also known as IPF: cross-platform, open source firewall which has been ported to several operating systems, including FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Solaris™. Name of the ruleset file given via command ipf -Fa -f /etc/ipf.rules

OpenBSD

• Packet Firewall (PF): Rules located in file /etc/pf.conf

NetBSD

• NetBSD Packet Filter (NPF) for Packet Filter (PF): Rules located in file /etc/npf.conf
• IP Filter (IPF): Use /etc/ipf.conf to allow the IPFilter firewall

BSD and similar systems (e.g., Linux) will use the same names for interfaces (eth1, eth2, em1, em2, carp1, carp2, etc.). The parser might be confused if the user imports interface files and packet filter configs from different systems at the same time resulting in a combined system instead of individual devices. To prevent this, the user should group all files by host, making sure to name the ifconfig file after the hostname (i.e. host1_interfaces.txt).

Free BSD Example

Below is an example of a 2 host FREE BSD system containing FW1, host1 and host2. The user should import the files in each section as a separate import. fw1 – first data set import (all available files imported together)

• pf.conf (required file) (note, can be named differently, e.g., FW1.txt’)
• obsd_fw1_interfaces.txt (required file) (note that the parser keys on the “_interfaces” string”. Text before “_interfaces” will be used to name the device. In tis example ‘obsd_fw1’)
• hostname.carp1
• hostname.carp2
• hostname.hvm2
• hostname.hvm3
• hostname.hvm4
• table1
• table2

host1 – second data set import (all available files imported together)

• pf.conf (required file) (note, can be named differently, e.g., host1.txt’)
• host1_interfaces.txt (required file) (note that the parser keys on the “_interfaces” string”. Text before “_interfaces” will be used to name the device. In this example ‘host1’)
• hostname.em1
• hostname.carp1

host2 – third data set import (all available files imported together)

• pf.conf (required file) (note, can be named differently, e.g., Host2.txt’)
• host2_interfaces.txt (required file) (note that the parser keys on the “_interfaces” string”. Text before “_interfaces” will be used to name the device. In this example ‘host2’)
• table1
• table2

The only required files are the config file (can be named something other than pf.conf) and the ifconfig file. hostname files are optional (unless they contain description of interfaces not in the ifconfig file). Table files contain a list of IP addresses that can be manipulated without reloading the entire rule set. Table files are only needed if tables are used inside the config file. For example, table persist { 198.51.100.0/27, !198.51.100.5 }

Support for Fortinet through 6.2 ended September 2023. Please note that no upgrades to these parsers will be made.

Panorama

If Panorama is used to centrally manage policies, the access rules and object groups can be retrieved from these devices in XML format (we do not support the import of unstructured text files). If using the Panorama connector, the required XML files will automatically be downloaded. For example:

If manually extracting Panorama files, two files are required for NP-View to proplery process the configuration. The files can only be retrieved through the API. The below links are to the Panorama documentation for the required commands with examples. The links provide you with commands to run directly in the Panorama CLI. The images we provided are for using Postman or web browser.

Get API Key

Get Panorama and device bundle Configuration

Get device mapping config

Once both the “<panorama_server>_running_config.xml” and <panorama_server >_mapping_config.xml” are gathered, verify the files are properly named for association. The name of the files need to follow the convention below where Chicago-IL-100-FW1 is the name of the Panorama. Both files should be imported at the same time.

• Chicago-IL-100-FW1_mapping_config.xml
• Chicago-IL-100-FW1_running_config.xml

Additional Panorama Notes:

The Panorama file only contains centrally managed access rules and object groups. Locally defined access rules and object groups cannot be retrieved from Panorama and must be retrieved from each NGFW. Follow the instructions below to export directly from the Next Gen Firewall using the API.

Palo Alto Firewalls will ALWAYS have a vsys even if one has not been configured it will default to vsys1.

Next Gen Firewall (NGFW)

If using the PanOS connector is used to download files, the required files will automatically be downloaded:

The configuration information from the NGFW may be contained in several .xml files, <device-name>_merged_config.xml and <device-name>.vsys(n)_pushed_policy.xml.  There can be one vsys file per virtual interface. The naming of these files is important for the parser to merge them during import.  All files from a single firewall must be imported at the same time and in .xml format (we do not support the import of unstructured text files).  If any of the files are missing, improperly named or formatted, an error message will state that ‘File parsed but ruleset and topology were empty, aborting’ meaning they could not be linked to the other associated files.

An example of properly named files is below:

• Chicago-IL-100-FW1_merged_config.xml
• Chicago-IL-100-FW1.vsys1_pushed_policy.xml
• Chicago-IL-100-FW1.vsys2_pushed_policy.xml

NOTE: If the NGFW is an unmanaged/standalone Palo Alto device it will not have a pushed_policy file. In this situation, the configuration .xml file can be downloaded directly from the firewall and loaded into NP-View.  The file name need not be changed when loading the file from a standalone firewall.

To manually export configuration files from an unmanaged firewall:

If the NGFW is managed by a Panorama, the API will be required to secure the necessary files:

Get API Key

Get PanOS Firewall full configuration

Get Managed Firewall configuration

Virtual Routers (vrf) – Experimental Support

Virtual router (vrf) is a software-based routing framework in Palo Alto NGFW that allows the host machine to perform as a typical hardware router over a local area network. NP-View has added the experimental capability to detect Virtual Routers from Palo Alto devices (NGFW or Panorama) and present them in the Connector or Manual Import device selection screens. Virtual Routers will be treated the same as physical routers and will require a device license.

This feature is disabled by default and must be enabled prior to importing configurations containing virtual routers.

To enable the feature the NP-View Server admin will need to make a change to a system variable.

• Stop the NP-View Server application.
• in the docker-compose.yml file, change the enableVirtualRouters=False to enableVirtualRouters=True in three places within the file.
• start the NP-View Server application.

For Desktop

• Close the NP-View application.
• In the file C:\Users\<username >\AppData\Roaming\NP-View\config.ini add enableVirtualRouters=True
• Restart the NP-View application

Once enabled, the user will be presented with the option to select virtual routers from the connector in the device selection or upon manual import.

Support for Palo Alto PanOS prior to V9.1 are no longer supported. Please note that no upgrades to parsers will be made for unsupported devices.

The Dell Edge Gateway runs Ubuntu Core OS. The gateway uses IP tables to configure the local firewall. NP-View uses the following 4 files extracted from the Ubuntu server to generate the topology. This device is not a firewall but more of an application running device. It does have some security features but we suspect it would be behind a real firewall. The following data is needed to import this device.

• iptables_rules → to get a device created, containing interfaces and rules
• hostname_interfaces → associated with config above
• arp_table → to get external hosts (ip + mac)
• active_connections → to get routes

This is not a simple device to get data from, the following process must be followed:

1. Capture the iptables Filter Rules

To capture the iptables filter rules (the firewall rules that are active on the system), you can use the following command:

Show Command:

sudo iptables -L -v -n

Description:

Lists the currently active iptables firewall rules (filter rules). Includes details about chains (INPUT, OUTPUT, FORWARD), protocols, sources, destinations, and ports.

Save Command:

sudo iptables-save > ~/iptables_rules.conf

This will save the firewall (filter) rules in a file called iptables_rules.conf in your home directory.

2. Capture the Network Interface List

To capture the list of network interfaces (with IPs, MAC addresses, etc.):

Show Command:

ip addr show

Description:

Displays the list of all network interfaces on the system. Includes details about interface names (eth1, eth2, etc.), IP addresses, MAC addresses, and other interface attributes.

Save Command:

ip addr show > ~/hostname_interfaces.txt

This will save the interface details in a file called hostname_interfaces.txt in your home directory.

3. Show ARP Table

Show Command:

ip neigh show

Description:

Displays the ARP table, showing which MAC addresses correspond to which IP addresses on the network.

Save Command:

ip neigh show > ~/arp_table.txt

4. View Routing Table

Command:

ip route show

Description:

Displays the current routing table, showing default gateways, specific routes, and the interfaces used to reach specific networks.

Save Command:

ip route show > ~/routing_table.txt

5. Loading files into NP-View

Once all of the files have been retrieved, they need to be loaded into NP-View together and without any other files so they are properly associated.

Support for Check Point R80 through R80.40 ended April of 2024. Please note that no upgrades to these parsers will be made.

NP-View supports Cisco FTD through the output of “show running-config” command. However, it is important to note that Cisco FTD includes network filtering policies documented outside of the running configuration. This section explains where to find those policies.

As of version 6.1, Cisco FTD includes a Prefilter Policy feature that serves three main purposes:

• Match traffic based on both inner and outer headers
• Provide early Access Control which allows a flow to bypass Snort engine completely
• Work as a placeholder for Access Control Entries (ACEs) that are migrated from Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) migration tool.

The feature has 2 primary use cases:

• For use with Tunnel Rule Types
• For bypassing the Snort engine

These prefilter rules are part of the FTD configuration and are displayed via the “show running-config” command on the FTD. They manifest in the NP-View Access Rule table as a Permit IP with:

• Source = any
• Destination = any
• Service = IP/any to any

As a result, the NP-View Rule Policy engine flags these rules as a high risk alert.

In the operation of the FTD, if a packet meets the prefilter policy, it is then evaluated by a secondary set of rules in the Snort engine or applied directly to the tunnel. The Snort rules are not part of the output of the of the “show running-config” output from the FTD. These rules are established, maintained and viewed on the FMC (management server), but are not readily available via the FTD CLI interface.

In the context of an audit during which evidence around these prefilter rules is requested, we recommend documenting that these rules are a default configuration for the system and we also recommend generating a FMC PDF Policy report to explain the flows of traffic within the FTD configuration. For more information, please refer to the Cisco FTD Prefilter Policies documentation.

We support .exp files as the default SonicWall file format for v5.9 and v6.X of the SonicOS.

The main UI allows for export of the encoded .exp file as such:

To extract the file via command line, then the command to export is

export current-config sonicos ftp ftp://[USERNAME]:[PASSWORD]@[FTP IP/URL]/sonicwall.exp

Where the username/password/FTP IP or URL must be changed. The file “sonicwall.exp” will then be saved at the FTP location. As this file is encoded, there’s no way to echo or cat the data.

The Palo Alto, CheckPoint and Cisco VRF support only considers a single routing table called ‘Global’. Additional support is planned for future versions of NP-View.