# FlexVPN Remote Access AnyConnect

**URL:** https://forum.networklessons.com/t/flexvpn-remote-access-anyconnect/13738
**Category:** Lessons Discussion
**Created:** [March 2, 2021, 12:55pm UTC](https://forum.networklessons.com/t/flexvpn-remote-access-anyconnect/13738 "2021-03-02T12:55:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 7

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Tanyatamir](https://cdn-forum.networklessons.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@Tanyatamir](https://forum.networklessons.com/u/Tanyatamir)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2021, 7:29am UTC](https://forum.networklessons.com/t/flexvpn-remote-access-anyconnect/13738/7 "2021-05-20T07:29:51Z")

</div>

After consistently spending time in the lab troubleshooting/reading/learning the fundamentals of IKEV2. I was able to use the false positive debug information to track the root cause of this “passed authentication and failed authorization” issue.

I have finally managed to resolve this issue and I hope this small write-up will help others in future too.

I was using the same version of anyconnect 4.8 in the article and IOS 15.7.

_Authorization Failure:_  
The article really helped! however it left out a small issue:

> **[FlexVPN Site-to-Site Smart Defaults](https://networklessons.com/vpn/flexvpn-site-to-site-smart-defaults)**
>
> This lesson explains how to configure Cisco FlexVPN Site-to-Site with smart defaults on Cisco IOS routers.

From the article I learned that:

A VPN with Ikev2 requires the following:

IKEv2 proposal

IKEv2 policy

**IKEv2 Authorization Policy** (missing from the article and caused small confusion)

IKEv2 profile

IKEv2 keyring

IPSec:

IPSec transform-set

IPSec profile

When you are configuring the profile in IKEv2  
and you are declaring the `aaa authorization group anyconnect-eap list 'NAME OF YOUR AAA AUTHORIZATION NETWORK` You must FOLLOW this up with the KEv2 Authorization Policy!!

This applies to you if you are using a radius or local authentication!

for example `aaa authorization group anyconnect-eap list 'AAA_AUTHORIZATION_NETWORK' 'IKEV2_AUTHORIZATION_POLICY'`

even if you are using a policy derived from radius you must use a “dummy” authorization policy!

A populated authorization policy example:

```
crypto ikev2 authorization policy IKEV2_AUTHORIZATION_POLICY
pool VPN_POOL
dns 1.1.1.1
def-domain NWL.LAB
route set remote ipv4 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255

```

a “dummy” authorization policy:

`crypto ikev2 authorization policy IKEV2_AUTHORIZATION_POLICY`

(EMPTY)

**The issue with “Smart Defaults”**  
The main issue with smart defaults IS even IF you don’t configure it and you let “smart defaults” predefine a “default” authorization policy, that authorization policy name will be required to be called in the profile! otherwise authentication will pass but authorization will FAIL!( my experience). If you don’t call and _name_ a authorization policy I’m not sure how we can specify it in the profile!

**Cryptographic Errors when using anyconnect 4.9+**

AnyConnect 4.9.00086 disables certain cryptography encryption/hash and groups DES, 3DES, MD5, and DH groups 2,5, 14, and 24

Workaround:

**SOLUTION** 1: Simply specify all encryption and hash in the proposal

```
crypto ikev2 proposal MY_IKEV2_PROPOSAL
encryption aes-cbc-256 aes-cbc-192 aes-cbc-128 3des
integrity sha512 sha384 sha256 sha1
group 21 20 19 16 14 5 2

crypto ikev2 policy MY_IKEV2_POLICY
proposal MY_IKEV2_PROPOSAL

```

**Solution 2:**  
Write separate proposals and specify them in the ikev2 Policy(not to be confused with the “authorization policy”)

```
crypto ikev2 proposal HIGH
encryption aes-cbc-256 aes-cbc-192 aes-cbc-128
integrity sha512 sha384 sha256
group 21 20 19
crypto ikev2 proposal MEDIUM
encryption aes-cbc-256 aes-cbc-192 aes-cbc-128
integrity sha256 sha1
group 16 14
crypto ikev2 proposal LOW
encryption aes-cbc-128 3des
integrity sha1 md5
group 5 2
crypto ikev2 policy MY_IKEV2_POLICY
proposal HIGH
proposal MEDIUM
proposal LOW

```

**Solution 3** : Use “anyconnect version pre 4.9”  
NOTE: You are then resorting to utilising depreciated cryptography “encryption/hash and groups”

Remember both these issue apply if you are using radius ISE OR local database for AAA

I hope that makes sense, please leave me a comment for any further clarification.

---

_[View the full topic](https://forum.networklessons.com/t/flexvpn-remote-access-anyconnect/13738)._
