All posts tagged L2TP

Microsoft Deprecates Legacy VPN Protocols

It’s long overdue, but Microsoft has finally announced the formal deprecation of the Point-to-Point Tunnel Protocol (PPTP) and the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) in Windows Server Routing and Remote Access (RRAS) Servers. Both protocols have long since been replaced with more secure alternatives such as the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) and Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEV2). However, many organizations have RRAS servers configured using these legacy protocols to support ad-hoc, on-demand access for non-managed users and devices.

Deprecated Protocols

There are a few reasons why Microsoft has deprecated these legacy protocols. Consider the following.

PPTP

It’s been widely known for many years that PPTP is broken and terribly insecure. Using this VPN protocol today is tremendously risky.

L2TP

L2TP is still considered secure, for the most part. However, it has been replaced with IKEv2, which is more secure and efficient.

Future Support

Although Microsoft made the announcement recently, the protocols will still be included in Windows Server 2025 when released later this year. However, Microsoft may remove these protocols from future Windows Server releases.

Always On VPN

Those who have deployed Microsoft Always On VPN are likely already using modern, secure VPN protocols, so this deprecation announcement won’t impact them. Although PPTP and L2TP are technically supported with Always On VPN, they are not commonly configured.

Recommendations

Administrators using Windows Server RRAS for VPN access using PPTP are encouraged to migrate to another protocol immediately. Those continuing to use L2TP should consider migrating soon.

Additional Information

Always On VPN Protocol Recommendations for Windows Server RRAS

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by Richard M. Hicks on October 11, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in administration, Always On VPN, AOVPN, Deployment, end of life, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, EOL, IKEv2, L2TP, Microsoft, Mobility, Operational Support, PPTP, Remote Access, routing, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, SSTP, TLS, VPN, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on October 11, 2024

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2024/10/11/microsoft-deprecates-legacy-vpn-protocols/

Always On VPN October 2023 Security Updates

Once again, it’s time to patch! After several quiet months, there are a few crucial updates Always On VPN administrators will want to get deployed soon. Thankfully, the impact of the security updates related to Always On VPN is low this time, as there is only one Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability, and it’s for a legacy protocol that should be in limited use today.

IKEv2

CVE-2023-36726 addresses a security vulnerability in Windows Internet Key Exchange (IKE) that can lead to privilege escalation. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can elevate privileges to that of the local SYSTEM.

L2TP

This month’s update discloses several Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) vulnerabilities. The following CVEs all address a vulnerability where an attacker can send a specially crafted protocol message to a Windows Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) server, which could lead to remote code execution on the server.

Mitigation

The impact of the L2TP security vulnerabilities should be minimal in most organizations. L2TP is a legacy VPN protocol not commonly used for Always On VPN. However, misconfiguration can leave vulnerable RRAS servers exposed. Administrators must ensure that inbound UDP port 1723 is not open from the Internet. In addition, L2TP should be disabled on the RRAS server if not in use. See the article on the May 2023 security updates for details.

Additional Information

October 2023 Security Updates

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by Richard M. Hicks on October 10, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in Always On VPN, AOVPN, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, Hotfix, IKEv2, Infrastructure, Microsoft, Mobility, Operational Support, Remote Access, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, Security Update, user tunnel, VPN, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on October 10, 2023

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2023/10/10/always-on-vpn-october-2023-security-updates/

Always On VPN IKEv2 Connection Failure Error Code 800

Always On VPN administrators may encounter a scenario in which Windows 10 clients are unable to establish an IKEv2 VPN connection to a Windows Server Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) server or a third-party VPN device under the following conditions.

  1. The VPN connection is configured using ProfileXML.
  2. ProfileXML includes the <CryptographySuite> element.
  3. The VPN server is configured to use a custom IPsec policy.
  4. The VPN server supports only IKEv2.
  5. The <NativeProtocolType> in ProfileXML is set to Automatic.

When these specific conditions are met, the client will be unable to connect to the VPN server using IKEv2. The error message states:

The remote connection was not made because the attempted VPN tunnels failed. The VPN server might be unreachable. If this connection is attempting to use an L2TP/IPsec tunnel, the security parameters required for IPsec negotiation might not be configured properly.

Always On VPN IKEv2 VPN Connection Failure Error Code 800

In addition, the event log will include an error message from the RasClient source with event ID 20227 that includes the following error message.

The user [username] dialed a connection named [connection name] which has failed. The error code returned on failure is 800.

Always On VPN IKEv2 VPN Connection Failure Error Code 800

A manually configured VPN connection using IKEv2 will connect successfully under these same conditions, however.

IKEv2 Error Code 800

Error code 800 translates to ERROR_AUTOMATIC_VPN_FAILED, which is somewhat ambiguous. The error description is:

Unable to establish the VPN connection. The VPN server may be unreachable, or security parameters may not be configured properly for this connection.

Digging Deeper

A network trace of the IKEv2 VPN connection reveals the true source of the problem, which is a failure of the client and server to successfully negotiate an IKEv2 security association (SA). During the SA initiation process, the parameters offered by the client are unacceptable to the server, resulting in a NO_PROPOSAL_CHOSEN notification being returned by the server.

Always On VPN IKEv2 VPN Connection Failure Error Code 800

Custom Cryptography Settings Ignored

It appears that the Always On VPN connection ignores the custom cryptography settings defined in the CryptographySuite element in ProfileXML. However, this only occurs when the NativeProtocolType is set to Automatic. Presumably, this is a bug. 🙂

Workaround

As a workaround, set the NativeProtocolType to IKEv2. When NativeProtocolType is set to IKEv2, the VPN connection recognizes the IKEv2 parameters defined in the CryptographySuite element and the VPN connection will be established successfully.

Additional Information

Always On VPN IKEv2 Security Configuration

Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2

Always On VPN IKEv2 Load Balancing with the KEMP LoadMaster Load Balancer

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by Richard M. Hicks on January 7, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Always On VPN, AOVPN, certificates, Encryption, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, IKEv2, Mobility, Remote Access, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, troubleshooting, VPN, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on January 7, 2019

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2019/01/07/always-on-vpn-ikev2-connection-failure-error-code-800/

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