External BGP peer has no authentication
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
An unauthenticated eBGP session accepts a TCP connection from anything that can reach the peering address with the right source address and port. An attacker positioned to spoof that can inject or withdraw routes, which redirects traffic without touching a single firewall rule.
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.
- Agree an authentication profile with the peer administrator.
- Apply the profile to the peer or the peer group at both ends in one change window.
- Where the peering runs over a private circuit and the counterparty refuses, record the exception.
Command line
PAN-OS CLI
set network virtual-router <virtual-router> protocol bgp peer-group <peer-group> peer <peer-name> connection-options authentication <auth-profile>An example. Values in angle brackets are yours to supply; a finding on your own export fills in the names it read. Nothing here commits. Review the candidate configuration, then commit it yourself.
Read it back
show network virtual-router <virtual-router> protocol bgpValues to fill in4
- <virtual-router>
- The virtual router
- <peer-group>
- The BGP peer group
- <peer-name>
- The BGP peer
- <auth-profile>
- The authentication profile or key for this peer
Before you type it2
- The far end has to offer the same proposal, so coordinate the change with whoever runs it.
- Secrets are never generated here. Set the key yourself, on both ends.
How to confirm the fix
- Confirm the session re-establishes with authentication configured at both ends.
Limits
- The peering agreement is not visible in a configuration file, and some carriers require sessions without authentication. Confirm the intent with whoever owns the peering.
- Internal peering sessions are not reported by this control.
Compliance references
No benchmark recommendation is mapped to this control in this version.
See it on your own firewall
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