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xunil321_122934
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Jul 13, 2016

APM Explicit Proxy iApp and User Auth

Dear all,

 

we are using Brett Smith's explicit proxy iApp and are trying to implement

 

some sort of user authentication to control internet access.

 

For instance applying such a profile

 

 

 

 

does not work, the client's browser (IE) is directed immediately to the logout page

 

WITHOUT showing us the Message Box.

 

Any hint, idea are welcome!

 

THX, Rainer

 

10 Replies

  • hello, possible explanation :you never ask for ntlm authentication, thus when you check the authentication it's failing ? i think you should have at least a 401 authentication to prompt end user authentication, and eca profile attached to virtual and associated ntlm config in APM

     

  • Arnaud,

     

    you are saying to follow Kevin's excellent guide, isn't:

     

    https://devcentral.f5.com/s/articles/configuring-apm-client-side-ntlm-authentication

     

    By the way, why is this profile not working:

     

    Start ---fallback--- Message Box ---fallback--- Deny

     

    At least i would expect to see the content of the Message Box, which we don't.

     

  • Sorry,

     

    I mean this profile:

     

    Start ---fallback--- Message Box ---fallback--- ALLOW

     

    We see the logout page and no message box output in /var/log/apm

     

  • And to respond to your question ntlm auth is a bit tricky, it's running "before" policy evaluation, in case of failure you're drop without going through the VPE.

     

  • Now I'm totally confused since we have only applied this VPE

     

    Start ---fallback--- Message Box ---fallback--- ALLOW

     

    There is no ntlm auth defined nevertheless we see the logout page

     

    and no message box output in /var/log/apm

     

    Strange, isn't?

     

  • if you setup the ntlm configuration as in Kevins guide, with the eca profile and irule it should trigger authentication on the client side. can you see the ntlm exchange on a pcap or via the browser dev tools ?

     

  • What we did at the moment is this:

     

    1. Installation of the APM Explicit Proxy iApp

     

    https://devcentral.f5.com/s/articles/apm-explicit-proxy

     

    2. Applying this simple profile

     

     

    3. Nothing else

     

    At least i would expect to see the content of the Message Box, which we don't.

     

    We are directing immediately to the logout page. Why?

     

  • i would have a good look if you configured it all correctly, connected the right access policy, applied the policy, things like that.

     

    which version btw?

     

  • Aah now i got it after reading the manual chapter "Explicit Forward proxy"

     

    The iApp mentioned above is creating a tunnel where another virtual server

     

    can be defined to listen on the tunnel for the requested outbound connection

     

    and the system processes the outbound traffic before it leaves the device.

     

    For my further understanding why is a tunnel established by the explicit proxy

     

    I mean where is this tunnel, in the BIG-IP or between BIG-IP and the client or ....

     

     

    Many thanks for any explanation!

     

    Rainer