Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    MFA for pfSense GUI

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
    45 Posts 20 Posters 18.3k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • johnpozJ
      johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
      last edited by

      Yeah Jim but they have to do a bit of reading and click a few buttons ;)

      And OMG they have to actually click the install for the freerad package.. So clearly its not built in… I think everyone should drop everything else they are working on and work on this.  Because you know someone needs to check off a checklist that pfsense supports MFA without actually knowing what that actually means.  But if there is a check box that gives them a QR code for their OTP then they can give it a checkmark ;)

      Must be loosing 1000's of customers a day because of this...

      Love to know what the OP thinks about the fact that google auth is just really another password.. But oh wait they call it a "shared secret key" ;) Be it a bit longer that is used for a math formula to generate a code based on time of day ;)  So anyone with that "password" could generate the same code as well..  Not all that secure now is it when you think about it ;)

      So when it comes down to it your talking about really just having 2 passwords vs 1.. So their MFA is just 2 things you know vs an actual other factor like something you have or are, or physical access, etc.

      If I know the users password and whatever the super secret "shared secret key" is I have access.. Vs say having to have a physical access to a specific network that has multiple "passwords" you have to auth with.  And something longer than than just a shared key..

      Now I guess a cert could be seen as the same thing... But then your taking about a REALLY LONG password ;)

      But hey have to check off that MFA check box now don't we...  The 30 seconds you spend answering this thread you could of been working on setting up that check box ;)

      An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
      If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
      Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
      SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.7.2, 24.11

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • M
        MacUsers @ivor
        last edited by

        Hi @ivor
        Sorry for my silence. by 'native' I meant something like AWS Management Console, which you can enable/disable in the user settings area and once it enabled the only after MFA entry you get access to the console. Or something like ability to integrate some 3rd part application like DUO.

        I know you guys may not like the idea of having MFA but really like to see it's not just relying on a silly password only.

        -San

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • J
          Jamescarell21
          last edited by

          This post is deleted!
          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • C
            condescending_dev
            last edited by

            TOTP has become commonplace. sad this is still a reality in 2022...

            RIP cybersecurity attestation forms as pfsense is natively uninsurable

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • stephenw10S
              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
              last edited by

              You know you can do this via Freeradius using Google Auth or mOTP?

              Screenshot from 2022-04-08 23-39-55.png

              C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • C
                condescending_dev @stephenw10
                last edited by

                @stephenw10 I get that it's possible. It just feels unnecessary to have a dependency on the freerad package for this functionality.

                keyserK 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • keyserK
                  keyser Rebel Alliance @condescending_dev
                  last edited by

                  @condescending_dev said in MFA for pfSense GUI:

                  @stephenw10 I get that it's possible. It just feels unnecessary to have a dependency on the freerad package for this functionality.

                  I don’t mean to stir up the discussion again, but it is a fact that cybersecurity insurance and company policies can become a pfSense showstopper because of MFA.

                  Yes, I know, install freeradius and do it that way, but you - like me - also know that there are several cases where that package stops running, doesn’t reinstall on upgrades and so on, and that just becomes a major problem if you are in uptime trouble as it is.

                  It would be nice if it was a backed in feature you could depend on in a standalone/isolated/no running packages situation as well.

                  Love the no fuss of using the official appliances :-)

                  stephenw10S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @keyser
                    last edited by

                    @keyser said in MFA for pfSense GUI:

                    It would be nice if it was a backed in feature

                    I agree. I'll poke it further up the list if I can.

                    Steve

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                    • M
                      MacUsers
                      last edited by

                      and just last week, we were stopped from using pfSense because we failed to demonstrate a meaningful MFA to login to the webConfigurator. 😞

                      We also failed to get Cyber Essential certificate (in UK) because of lack of MFA on the GUI.

                      We really need something sooner than later.

                      -San

                      M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • C
                        cloudroot
                        last edited by

                        If it were to be something considered in the future. Then please consider adding support for such things as FIDO/2. So that we could use hardware keys e.g. Yubikeys as well.

                        Please and thank you.😊

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • M
                          michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @MacUsers
                          last edited by

                          @macusers but why didnt you implement the suggestion asd outlined by @jimp
                          Use FreeRadius and Google Auth?

                          I get where everyone is coming from - basically a standlone feature to do this but again....the feature technically exists now with the freeradius package. Im really not understanding the issue here. Use it or dont.

                          Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                          Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                          Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                          Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                          JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                          keyserK 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • keyserK
                            keyser Rebel Alliance @michmoor
                            last edited by

                            @michmoor said in MFA for pfSense GUI:

                            @macusers but why didnt you implement the suggestion asd outlined by @jimp
                            Use FreeRadius and Google Auth?

                            I get where everyone is coming from - basically a standlone feature to do this but again....the feature technically exists now with the freeradius package. Im really not understanding the issue here. Use it or dont.

                            Because we have all tried doing upgrades :-)
                            Packages are supposed to install in the background, but that can occasionally fail - or cause issues, and then you are in big trouble if your physical console is a 1000 miles away.
                            Relying on a local installed 3rd party freeradius package for the second factor is a hen and the egg problem waiting to happen if you have any issues.

                            Love the no fuss of using the official appliances :-)

                            M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                            • M
                              michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @keyser
                              last edited by

                              @keyser if Radius fails isnt there a fallback to local auth then?

                              Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                              Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                              Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                              Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                              JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                              M keyserK 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • M
                                MacUsers @michmoor
                                last edited by MacUsers

                                @michmoor said in MFA for pfSense GUI:

                                @keyser if Radius fails isnt there a fallback to local auth then?

                                and you back with no MFA again.
                                The thing, which is very hard for me understand: why it's so hard to acknwledge the issue and work towards a proper solution, rather than spending time convincinging people for a not-so-convenient work around.

                                -San

                                M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                • M
                                  michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @MacUsers
                                  last edited by

                                  @macusers ??? Im really not following here.
                                  This is a problem enterprises have. I have TACACS and RADIUS deployed on my network gear. If my ClearPass servers fail, the fallback authentication method is local auth.
                                  How is this any different here? Radius fails, local auth should be used. Is the assumption that no authentication should be used to manage a device if your central management platform fails? thats insane..

                                  Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                                  Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                                  Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                                  Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                                  JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                  • keyserK
                                    keyser Rebel Alliance @michmoor
                                    last edited by

                                    @michmoor said in MFA for pfSense GUI:

                                    @keyser if Radius fails isnt there a fallback to local auth then?

                                    If implemented correctly then yes, you should be able to configure that option. But as far as I remember, pfSense does not have this option - so the built-in admin either always works without MFA, or you do not have a fallback in case radius is down (because admin is disabled). I may be wrong here, but a couple of years ago I could not get it to work in a proper MFA certifiable way.

                                    Love the no fuss of using the official appliances :-)

                                    M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • M
                                      michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @keyser
                                      last edited by michmoor

                                      @keyser if pfsense does not have that ability then i agree in that MFA as implemented for the GUI portion is useless.
                                      edit: i would argue that if i already have access to your firewall via https than the firewall having 2FA or not is moot. Im already in your environment and doing mysql dumps.

                                      Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                                      Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                                      Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                                      Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                                      JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                                      keyserK 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • keyserK
                                        keyser Rebel Alliance @michmoor
                                        last edited by

                                        @michmoor said in MFA for pfSense GUI:

                                        edit: i would argue that if i already have access to your firewall via https than the firewall having 2FA or not is moot. Im already in your environment and doing mysql dumps.

                                        I agree with that part, but again - it’s besides the point.
                                        If you want cyber insurance, or it’s company policy, you need to demonstrate your Firewall is MFA auth only unless you have physical access.

                                        Love the no fuss of using the official appliances :-)

                                        M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • M
                                          michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @keyser
                                          last edited by michmoor

                                          @keyser I will say this......

                                          Palo Alto at my site and at most sites are set up the EXACT same way.

                                          There is a radius account that your NetOps or Sysadmisn uses to log in. There is also a local account that you can use to log in that has nothing to do with radius. Both methods are permissible. I use local account sometimes because the way Panorama (Palo Alto) works is that some features are only available if you log into the device directly rather than using switching contexts

                                          That being said what pfsense does is in no way different from how Palo Alto operates their software. Radius and Local auth are used at the same time. Nothing wrong with this.

                                          edit: If the cyber insurance company doesnt understand the difference between 2FA and Local Account and how the software works then you are probably best not using that company anyway....

                                          Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                                          Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                                          Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                                          Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                                          JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                                          C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                          • C
                                            condescending_dev @michmoor
                                            last edited by

                                            @michmoor said in MFA for pfSense GUI:

                                            edit: If the cyber insurance company doesnt understand the difference between 2FA and Local Account and how the software works then you are probably best not using that company anyway....

                                            That's not always an option.

                                            What's the benefit of dictating the design?

                                            M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.