AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

The AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout feature allows you to secure the double authentication mechanism by protecting it with a per-user session timeout. This feature optimizes the connections to the network that are authorized by service providers and increases the security of the overall access to the network by ensuring that no unwanted sessions are connected.

Finding Feature Information

Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest caveats and feature information, see Bug Search Tool and the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the feature information table at the end of this module.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/​go/​cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Prerequisites for AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

  • You need access to a Cisco RADIUS or TACACS+ server and should be familiar with configuring RADIUS or TACACS+.

  • You should be familiar with configuring authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) and enabling AAA automated double authentication.

Restrictions for AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

  • The AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout feature is for PPP connections only. Automated double authentication cannot be used with other protocols, such as X.25 or Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP).

  • There may be a minimal impact on performance if a TACACS+ server is used. However, there is no performance impact if a RADIUS server is used.

Information About AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

AAA Double Authentication

Use the AAA double authentication mechanism to pass the first authentication using a host username and password. The second authentication, after the Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) or the Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) authentication, uses a login username and password. In the first authentication, a PPP session timeout is applied to the virtual access interface if it is configured locally or remotely.

The AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout feature allows you to secure the double authentication mechanism by protecting it with a per-user session timeout. The per-user session timeout, which can be customized, supersedes the generic absolute timeout value. This method works on the same principle as per-user access control lists (ACLs) in double authentication.

How to Apply AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

Applying AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

To apply the absolute timeout, you must configure session-timeout in the login user profile as a link control protocol (LCP) per-user attribute. Use the access-profile command to enable AAA double authentication. This command is used to apply your per-user authorization attributes to an interface during a PPP session. Before you use the access-profile command, you must first reauthorize LCP per-user attributes (for example, Session-Timeout) and then reauthorize Network Control Protocols (NCPs) to apply other necessary criteria, such as ACLs and routes. See the section “Examples for AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout.”


Note

The Timeout configuration in a TACACS+ user profile is different from the configuration in a RADIUS user profile. In a RADIUS profile, only one session-timeout is configured, along with the autocommand access-profile. The timeout is applied to the EXEC session and to the PPP session respectively. In TACACS+, however, the timeout must be configured under the service types “exec” and “ppp” (LCP) to apply a timeout to the EXEC session and to the PPP session. If the timeout is configured only under the service type “ppp,” the timeout value will not be available during an EXEC authorization, and the timeout will not be applied to the EXEC session.

Verifying AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

To verify that AAA double authentication has been secured by absolute timeout and to see information about various attributes associated with the authentication, perform the following steps. These show and debug commands can be used in any order.


Note

If idle timeout is configured on a full virtual access interface and a subvirtual access interface, the show users command displays the idle time for both interfaces. However, if the idle timeout is not configured on both interfaces, the show users command will display the idle time for the full virtual access interface only.

SUMMARY STEPS

    1.    enable

    2.    show users

    3.    show interfaces virtual-access number [configuration]

    4.    debug aaa authentication

    5.    debug aaa authorization

    6.    debug aaa per-user

    7.    debug ppp authentication

    8.    Enter one of the following:

    • debug radius

      or

      debug tacacs


DETAILED STEPS
     Command or ActionPurpose
    Step 1 enable


    Example:
    Device> enable
     

    Enables privileged EXEC mode.

    • Enter your password if prompted.

     
    Step 2 show users


    Example:
    Device# show users
     

    Displays information about active lines on the device.

     
    Step 3 show interfaces virtual-access number [configuration]


    Example:
    Device# show interfaces virtual-access 2 configuration
     

    Displays status, traffic data, and configuration information about a specified virtual access interface.

     
    Step 4 debug aaa authentication


    Example:
    Device# debug aaa authentication
     

    Displays information about AAA TACACS+ authentication.

     
    Step 5 debug aaa authorization


    Example:
    Device# debug aaa authorization
     

    Displays information about AAA TACACS+ authorization.

     
    Step 6 debug aaa per-user


    Example:
    Device# debug aaa per-user
     

    Displays the attributes that are applied to each user as the user gets authenticated.

     
    Step 7 debug ppp authentication


    Example:
    Device# debug ppp authentication
     

    Displays whether a user is passing authentication.

     
    Step 8Enter one of the following:
    • debug radius

      or

      debug tacacs



    Example:
    Device# debug radius


    Example:
    Device# debug tacacs
     

    Displays the debug information associated with the RADIUS server.

    or

    Displays the debug information associated with the TACACS+ server.

     

    Examples

    The following sample output is from the show users command: 

    Device# show users

     Line       User        Host(s      Idle       Location
  *  0 con 0    aaapbx2     idle        00:00:00   aaacon2 10
     8 vty 0    broker_def  idle        00:00:08   192.168.1.8
     Interface  User            Mode        Idle       Peer Address
     Vi2        broker_default  VDP         00:00:01   192.168.1.8 <=========
     Se0:22     aaapbx2         Sync PPP    00:00:23

    The following sample output is from the show interfaces virtual-access command: 

    Device# show interfaces virtual-access 2 configuration

Virtual-Access2 is a Virtual Profile (sub)interface
Derived configuration: 150 bytes
!
interface Virtual-Access2
  ip unnumbered Serial0:23
  no ip route-cache
  timeout absolute 3 0
! The above line shows that the per-user session timeout has been applied.
  ppp authentication chap
  ppp timeout idle 180000
! The above line shows that the absolute timeout has been applied.

    Configuration Examples for AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

    Example: RADIUS User Profile

    The following sample output shows that a RADIUS user profile has been applied and that AAA double authentication has been secured by an absolute timeout: 

    aaapbx2 Password = "password1",
 Service-Type = Framed,
 Framed-Protocol = PPP,
 Session-Timeout = 180,
 Idle-Timeout = 180000,
 cisco-avpair = "ip:inacl#1=permit tcp any any eq telnet"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:inacl#2=permit icmp any any"
broker_default Password = "password1",
 Service-Type = Administrative,
 cisco-avpair = "shell:autocmd=access-profile",
 Session-Timeout = 360,
 cisco-avpair = "ip:inacl#1=permit tcp any any"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:inacl#2=permit icmp any any"
broker_merge Password = "password1",
 Service-Type = Administrative,
 cisco-avpair = "shell:autocmd=access-profile merge",
 Session-Timeout = 360,
 cisco-avpair = "ip:inacl#1=permit tcp any any"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:inacl#2=permit icmp any any"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:route#3=10.4.0.0 255.0.0.0"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:route#4=10.5.0.0 255.0.0.0"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:route#5=10.6.0.0 255.0.0.0"
broker_replace Password = "password1",
 Service-Type = Administrative,
 cisco-avpair = "shell:autocmd=access-profile replace",
 Session-Timeout = 360,
 cisco-avpair = "ip:inacl#1=permit tcp any any"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:inacl#2=permit icmp any any"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:route#3=10.4.0.0 255.0.0.0"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:route#4=10.5.0.0 255.0.0.0"
 cisco-avpair = "ip:route#5=10.6.0.0 255.0.0.0"

    Example: TACACS User Profile

    The following sample output shows that a TACACS+ user profile has been applied and that AAA double authentication has been secured by an absolute timeout.

    Remote Host Authentication

    The following example shows how to allow the remote host to be authenticated by the local host during the first-stage authentication and provides the remote host authorization profile. 

    user = aaapbx2
 chap = cleartext Cisco
 pap = cleartext cisco
 login = cleartext cisco
 service = ppp protocol = lcp
  idletime = 3000
  timeout = 3
 service = ppp protocol = ip
  inacl#1="permit tcp any any eq telnet"
 service = ppp protocol = ipx

    Using the access-profile Command Without Any Arguments

    Using the access-profile command without any arguments causes the removal of any access lists that are found in the old configuration (both per-user and per-interface) and ensures that the new profile contains only access-list definitions. 

    user = broker_default
 login = cleartext Cisco
 chap = cleartext "cisco"
 service = exec
  autocmd = "access-profile"
! This is the autocommand that executes when broker_default logs in.
  timeout = 6
 service = ppp protocol = lcp
  timeout = 6
 service = ppp protocol = ip
! Put access lists, static routes, and other requirements that are
! needed here. Read the software specifications for details. If you leave
! this blank, the user will have no access lists (not even the ones that were
! installed prior to the creation of this user profile)!
  inacl#1="permit tcp any any"
  inacl#2="permit icmp host 10.0.0.0 any"
 service = ppp protocol = ipx
! Put access lists, static routes, and other requirements that are
! needed here. Read the software specifications for details. If you leave
! this blank, the user will have no access lists (not even the ones that were
! installed prior to the creation of this user profile)!

    Using the access-profile Command with the merge Keyword

    The merge keyword in the access-profile command is used to remove all old access lists, and any attribute-value (AV) pair is allowed to be uploaded and installed. The use of the merge keyword will allow for the uploading of any custom static routes, Service Advertisement Protocol (SAP) filters, and other requirements that users may need in their profiles. Configure the merge keyword with care because it leaves everything open in terms of conflicting configurations. 

    user = broker_merge
 login = cleartext Cisco
 chap = cleartext "cisco"
 service = exec
  autocmd = "access-profile merge"
! This is the autocommand that executes when broker_merge logs in.
  timeout = 6
 service = ppp protocol = lcp
 timeout = 6
 service = ppp protocol = ip
! Put access lists, static routes, and other requirements that are
! needed here. Read the software specifications for details. If you leave
! this blank, the user will have no access lists (not even the ones that were
! installed prior to the creation of this user profile)!
  route#1="10.4.0.0 255.0.0.0"
  route#2="10.5.0.0 255.0.0.0"
  route#3="10.6.0.0 255.0.0.0"
  inacl#5="permit tcp any any"
  inacl#6="permit icmp host 10.60.0.0 any"
 service = ppp protocol = ipx
! Put access lists, static routes, and other requirements that are
! needed here. Read the software specifications for details. If you leave
! this blank, the user will have no access lists (not even the ones that were
! installed prior to the creation of this user profile)!

    Using the access-profile Command with the replace Keyword

    If you use the access-profile command with the replace keyword, any old configurations are removed and a new configuration is installed.


    Note

    When the access-profile command is configured, the new configuration is checked for address pools and address-AV pairs. Because addresses cannot be renegotiated at this point, the command will fail to work when it encounters such an address-AV pair. 

    user = broker_replace
 login = cleartext Cisco
 chap = cleartext "cisco"
 service = exec
  autocmd = "access-profile replace"
! This is the autocommand that executes when broker_replace logs in.
  timeout = 6
 service = ppp protocol = lcp
  timeout = 6
 service = ppp protocol = ip
! Put access lists, static routes, and other requirements that are
! needed here. Read the software specifications for details. If you leave
! this blank, the user will have no access lists (not even the ones that were
! installed prior to the creation of this user profile)!
  route#1="10.7.0.0 255.0.0.0"
  route#2="10.8.0.0 255.0.0.0"
  route#3="10.9.0.0 255.0.0.0"
  inacl#4="permit tcp any any"
 service = ppp protocol = ipx
! Put access lists, static routes, and other requirements that are
! needed here. Read the software specifications for details. If you leave
! this blank, the user will have no access lists (not even the ones that were
! installed prior to the creation of this user profile)!

    Note

    The Timeout configuration in a TACACS+ user profile is different from the configuration in a RADIUS user profile. In a RADIUS profile, only one session-timeout is configured, along with the autocommand access-profile. The timeout will be applied to the EXEC session and to the PPP session. In the TACACS+ user profile, however, the timeout must be configured under the service types “exec” and “ppp” (LCP) to apply a timeout to the EXEC session and to the PPP session respectively. If the timeout is configured only under the service type “ppp,” the timeout value will not be available during an EXEC authorization, and the timeout will not be applied to the EXEC session.

    Additional References

    Related Documents

    Related Topic

    Document Title

    Cisco IOS commands

    Master Command List, All Releases

    Security commands

    Technical Assistance

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    Link

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    http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​cisco/​web/​support/​index.html

    Feature Information for AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

    The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.

    Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/​go/​cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

    Table 1 Feature Information for AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

    Feature Name

    Releases

    Feature Information

    AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout

    Cisco IOS XE 2.3

    The AAA Double Authentication Secured by Absolute Timeout feature allows you to secure the double authentication mechanism by protecting it with a per-user session timeout. This feature optimizes the connection to the network by service providers to only connections that are authorized, and it increases the security of the overall access to the network by ensuring that no unwanted sessions are connected.