Inspection module fails open or only monitors
At a glance
Base severity
Area
Platform
Evidence level
Benchmark reference
Reads the export, not the device
ConfigProof reads a configuration export. This control is evaluated against the objects in that file, and it reports what the file says. It does not connect to the device and sees no traffic, so a finding here describes the configuration, not what the firewall is doing right now.
Why it matters
When the module fails or is only monitoring, traffic passes uninspected, so the protection it was meant to add is not there when it matters.
How to fix it
Web interface
The steps below are written for the web interface. A finding raised on your own export carries the same steps with your object names filled in.
- In ASDM: Configuration > Firewall > Service Policy Rules, edit the rule's ASA FirePOWER Inspection (or IPS) action and choose fail-close, without monitor-only. Apply and save.
- On the CLI: in the policy-map class, sfr fail-close (or ips inline fail-close), and write memory.
Command line
Cisco ASA CLI
configure terminalpolicy-map global_policyclass <class-map>sfr fail-closeendwrite memory
An example. Values in angle brackets are yours to supply; a finding on your own export fills in the names it read. Typed in configuration mode; write memory saves it, with no separate commit. Read every line first.
Read it back
show service-policy sfrValues to fill in1
- <class-map>
- The class map for the traffic
Before you type it3
- Written from the ASA 9.x command reference and not run on a device: read each line before you paste it.
- In multiple context mode, type it in the context it applies to (changeto context <name>).
- fail-close stops traffic when the module is down.
How to confirm the fix
- Run show service-policy sfr (or ips) and confirm the mode.
Limits
- fail-close stops traffic when the module is down: an availability decision to record.
Compliance references
No benchmark recommendation is mapped to this control in this version.
See it on your own firewall
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