AnyConnect HostScan

The AnyConnect Posture Module provides the AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client the ability to identify the operating system, anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software installed on the host. The HostScan application gathers this information. Posture assessment requires HostScan to be installed on the host.

Using the secure desktop manager tool in the Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM), you can create a prelogin policy which evaluates the operating system, anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software Host Scan identifies. Based on the result of the prelogin policy’s evaluation, you can control which hosts are allowed to create a remote access connection to the security appliance.

The HostScan support chart contains the product name and version information for the anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall applications you use in your prelogin policies. We deliver HostScan and the HostScan support chart, as well as other components, in the HostScan package.

Starting with AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, release 3.0, HostScan is available separately from CSD. This means you can deploy HostScan functionality without having to install CSD and you will be able to update your HostScan support charts by upgrading the latest HostScan package.

Prerequisites for HostScan

The AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client with the posture module requires these minimum ASA components:

  • ASA 8.4

  • ASDM 6.4

These AnyConnect features require that you install the posture module.

  • SCEP authentication

  • AnyConnect Telemetry Module

Refer to Supported VPN Platforms, Cisco ASA Series for what operating systems are supported for posture module installation.

The posture module can be installed on any of these platforms:

  • Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 10 RS1, RS2, & RS3 (x86 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit)

  • macOS 10.11, 10.12, and 10.13

  • Linux Red Hat 6, 7 & Ubuntu 14.04 (LTS) and 16.04 (LTS) (64-bit only)

Licensing for HostScan

These are the AnyConnect licensing requirements for the HostScan:

  • AnyConnect Apex

  • AnyConnect VPN Only

HostScan Packaging

You can load the HostScan package on to the ASA as a standalone package: hostscan-version.pkg. This file contains the HostScan software as well as the HostScan library and support charts.

Install or Upgrade HostScan

Use this procedure to install or upgrade the HostScan package and enable it using the command line interface for the ASA.

Before you begin


Note

If you are attempting to upgrade to HostScan version 4.6.x or later from a 4.3.x version or earlier, you will receive an error message due to the fact that all existing AV/AS/FW DAP policies and LUA script(s) that you have previously established are incompatible with HostScan 4.6.x or greater.

There is a one time migration procedure that must be done to adapt your configuration. This procedure involves leaving this dialog box to migrate your configuration to be comptaible with HostScan 4.4.x before saving this configuration. Abort this procedure and refer to the AnyConnect HostScan 4.3.x to 4.6.x Migration Guide for detailed instructions. Briefly, migration involves navigating to the ASDM DAP policy page to review and manually deleting the incompatible AV/AS/FW attributes, and then reviewing and rewriting LUA scripts.

  • Log on to the ASA and enter global configuration mode. In global configuration mode, the ASA displays this prompt: hostname(config)#

  • Upload the hostscan_version-k9.pkg file to the ASA.

Procedure

Step 1

Enter webvpn configuration mode.

Example:


hostname(config)# webvpn
Step 2

Specify the path to the package you want to designate as the HostScan image. You can specify a standalone HostScan package or an AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client package as the HostScan package.

csd hostscan image path

Example:


ASAName(webvpn)#csd hostscan image disk0:/ hostscan-3.6.0-k9.pkg
ASAName(webvpn)#csd hostscan image disk0:/anyconnect-NGC-win-3.0.0327-k9.pkg
Step 3

Enable the HostScan image you designated in the previous step.

Example:


ASAName(webvpn)#csd enable
Step 4

Save the running configuration to flash. After successfully saving the new configuration to flash memory, you receive the message [OK].

Example:


hostname(webvpn)# write memory
Step 5

Enable or Disable HostScan

These commands enable or disable an installed HostScan image using the command line interface of the ASA.

Before you begin

Log on to the ASA and enter global configuration mode. In global configuration mode, the ASA displays this prompt: hostname(config)#

Procedure

Step 1

Enter webvpn configuration mode.

Example:

webvpn

Step 2

Enable the standalone HostScan image if it has not been uninstalled from your ASA.

hostscan enable

Step 3

Disable HostScan for all installed HostScan packages.

Note 

Before you uninstall the enabled HostScan image, you must first disable HostScan using this command.

no hostscan enable

View the HostScan Version Enabled on the ASA

Use this procedure to determine the enabled HostScan version using ASA’s command line interface.

Before you begin

Log on to the ASA and enter privileged exec mode. In privileged exec mode, the ASA displays this prompt: hostname#

Procedure

Show the version of HostScan enabled on the ASA.

show webvpn csd hostscan

Uninstall HostScan

Uninstalling HostScan package removes it from view on the ASDM interface and prevents the ASA from deploying it even if HostScan is enabled. Uninstalling HostScan does not delete the HostScan package from the flash drive.

Before you begin

Log on to the ASA and enter global configuration mode. In global configuration mode, the ASA displays this prompt: hostname(config)#.

Procedure

Step 1

Enter webvpn configuration mode.

webvpn

Step 2

Disable the HostScan image you want to uninstall.

no csd enable

Step 3

Specify the path to the HostScan image you want to uninstall. A standalone HostScan package may have been designated as the HostScan package.

no csd hostscan image path

Example:


hostname(webvpn)#no csd hostscan image disk0:/hostscan-3.6.0-k9.pkg
hostname(webvpn)#no csd hostscan image disk0:/anyconnect-NGC-win-3.0.0327-k9.pkg
Step 4

Save the running configuration to flash.After successfully saving the new configuration to flash memory, you receive the message [OK].

write memory

Assign AnyConnect Feature Modules to Group Policies

This procedure associates AnyConnect feature modules with a group policy. When VPN users connect to the ASA, the ASA downloads and installs these AnyConnect feature modules to their endpoint computer.

Before you begin

Log on to the ASA and enter global configuration mode. In global configuration mode, the ASA displays this prompt: hostname(config)#

Procedure

Step 1

Adds an internal group policy for Network Client Access

group-policy name internal

Example:


hostname(config)# group-policy PostureModuleGroup internal
Step 2

Edit the new group policy. After entering the command, you receive the prompt for group policy configuration mode, hostname(config-group-policy)#.

group-policy name attributes

Example:

hostname(config)# group-policy PostureModuleGroup attributes
Step 3

Enter group policy webvpn configuration mode. After you enter the command, the ASA returns this prompt: hostname(config-group-webvpn)#

webvpn

Step 4

Configure the group policy to download AnyConnect feature modules for all users in the group.

anyconnect modules value AnyConnect Module Name

The value of the anyconnect module command can contain one or more of the following values. When specifying more than one module, separate the values with a comma:

value

AnyConnect Module/Feature Name

dart

AnyConnect DART (Diagnostics and Reporting Tool)

vpngina

AnyConnect SBL (Start Before Logon)

websecurity

AnyConnect Web Security Module

telemetry

AnyConnect Telemetry Module

posture

AnyConnect Posture Module

nam

AnyConnect Network Access Manager

none

Used by itself to remove all AnyConnect modules from the group policy.

Example:


hostname(config-group-webvpn)# anyconnect modules value websecurity,telemetry,posture

To remove one of the modules, re-send the command specifying only the module values you want to keep. For example, this command removes the websecurity module: 


hostname(config-group-webvpn)# anyconnect modules value telemetry,posture
Step 5

Save the running configuration to flash.

After successfully saving the new configuration to flash memory, you receive the message [OK] and the ASA returns you to this prompt hostname(config-group-webvpn)#

write memory

HostScan Related Documentation

Once HostScan gathers the posture credentials from the endpoint computer, you will need to understand subjects like configuring dynamic access policies and using LUA expressions to make use of the information.

These topics are covered in detail in these documents: Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager Configuration Guides . See also the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client Administrator Guide for more information about how HostScan works with AnyConnect clients.