ipsecinit.conf File

To invoke IPsec security policies when you start the Solaris Operating System, you create a configuration file to initialize IPsec with your specific IPsec policy entries. You should name the file /etc/inet/ipsecinit.conf. See the ipsecconf(1M) man page for details about policy entries and their format. After policies are configured, you can use the ipsecconf command to view or modify the existing configuration.

Sample ipsecinit.conf File

The Solaris software includes a sample IPsec policy file, ipsecinit.sample. You can use the file as a template to create your own ipsecinit.conf file. The ipsecinit.sample file contains the following examples:

#
# For example,
#
#     {rport 23} ipsec {encr_algs des encr_auth_algs md5}
#
# will protect the telnet traffic originating from the host with ESP using
# DES and MD5. Also:
#
#     {raddr 10.5.5.0/24} ipsec {auth_algs any}
#
# will protect traffic to or from the 10.5.5.0 subnet with AH 
# using any available algorithm.
#
#
# To do basic filtering, a drop rule may be used. For example:
#
#    {lport 23 dir both} drop {}
# will disallow any remote system from telnetting in.
#
# If you are using IPv6, it may be useful to bypass neighbor discovery
# to allow in.iked to work properly with on-link neighbors. To do that,
# add the following lines:
#
#        {ulp ipv6-icmp type 133-137 dir both } pass { }
#
# This will allow neighbor discovery to work normally.

Security Considerations for ipsecinit.conf and ipsecconf

Use extreme caution if transmitting a copy of the ipsecinit.conf file over a network. An adversary can read a network-mounted file as the file is being read. If, for example, the /etc/inet/ipsecinit.conf file is accessed or is copied from an NFS-mounted file system, an adversary can change the policy that is contained in the file.

Ensure that you set up IPsec policies before starting any communications, because existing connections might be affected by the addition of new policy entries. Similarly, do not change policies in the middle of a communication.

Specifically, IPsec policy cannot be changed for SCTP, TCP, or UDP sockets on which a connect() or accept() function call has been issued. A socket whose policy cannot be changed is called a latched socket. New policy entries do not protect sockets that are already latched. For more information, see the connect(3SOCKET) and accept(3SOCKET) man pages.

Protect your naming system. If the following two conditions are met, then your host names are no longer trustworthy:

• Your source address is a host that can be looked up over the network.

• Your naming system is compromised.

Security weaknesses often arise from the misapplication of tools, not from the actual tools. You should be cautious when using the ipsecconf command. Use a console or other hard-connected TTY for the safest mode of operation.