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

    Email Notification - OpenVPN Client Connect (Common Name)

    OpenVPN
    20
    138
    39.0k
    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.
    • GertjanG
      Gertjan @PM_13
      last edited by Gertjan

      @PM_13 said in Email Notification - OpenVPN Client Connect (Common Name):

      if I run this script (as root) from command line then it should send an email..correct?

      Yes. The mail would be send.

      Can you test this :

      [2.4.5-RELEASE][admin@pfsense.internal.net]/root: file notify.sh
      notify.sh: PHP script, ASCII text executable
      [2.4.5-RELEASE][admin@pfsense.internal.net]/root: ls -al notify.sh
      -rwxr-xr-x  2 root  wheel  504 Jun 26  2019 notify.sh
      

      edit : when a mail is actually send - accepted by the mail server, you see this in the main log :

      4d159e3f-85e2-4aa1-b38c-1dc670dc3f31-image.png

      Not seeing such a line means : the mail never got out.

      No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
      Edit : and where are the logs ??

      P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • P
        PM_13 @Gertjan
        last edited by

        @Gertjan Found some interesting things:

        [2.4.5-RELEASE][admin@pfSense.localdomain]/root: file notify.sh
        notify.sh: PHP script, ASCII text executable
        [2.4.5-RELEASE][admin@pfSense.localdomain]/root: ls -al notify.sh
        -rwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  124 Oct  5 19:56 notify.sh
        

        After executing notify.sh from command line (as root), in the logs I see following:

        Oct 7 19:51:09	php-cgi		notify_monitor.php: Could not send the message to <redacted> -- Error: Failed to set sender: <redacted> [SMTP: Invalid response code received from server (code: 550, response: 5.1.0 Authentication required)]
        

        So went back to System => Advanced => Notifications and re-entered the values for email server, smtp server, login, password, port etc. Then hit "Test SMTP Settings" and I receive a test email promptly.

        Went back to command prompt and executed "notify.sh" and got the same error again.

        So the SMTP works for test settings but not for "notify.sh" command line execution.
        Any ideas what I might be missing here?

        GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • P
          PM_13
          last edited by

          I ran few more commands and output is listed below:

          [2.4.5-RELEASE][admin@pfSense.localdomain]/root: tcsh -v notify.sh
          
          < ?php
          Invalid null command.
          [2.4.5-RELEASE][admin@pfSense.localdomain]/root: cat notify.sh
          #!/usr/local/bin/php -q
          <?php
          
                  require_once("/etc/inc/notices.inc");
                  notify_all_remote("VPN Connected");
          ?>
          

          I am not conversant in php, is there any syntax error in notify.sh?

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • GertjanG
            Gertjan @PM_13
            last edited by Gertjan

            @PM_13 said in Email Notification - OpenVPN Client Connect (Common Name):

            re-entered the values for email server, smtp server, login, password, port etc. Then hit "Test SMTP Settings"

            Noop.

            You enter all the details.
            Then you hit Save.
            Only then you hit "Test SMTP Settings".

            Add a log line in your script file :

            ...
                    require_once("/etc/inc/notices.inc");
                    log_error("About to send a mail ...");
                    notify_all_remote("VPN Connected");
            ....
            

            Now you should see this in your :

            509174bf-b45e-4a75-aa77-46b8978e6857-image.png

            This simple test shows that the script is executed.

            No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
            Edit : and where are the logs ??

            P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • P
              PM_13 @Gertjan
              last edited by

              @Gertjan Thanks, I saved the settings then tried test SMTP which went smoothly.

              The execution of /root/notify.sh from command line still gives the same error as before. So I went to webUI => Diagnostics => Command Prompt => Execute PHP Commands and typed following in the text box:

              require_once("/etc/inc/notices.inc");
              log_error("About to send a mail ...");
              notify_all_remote("VPN Connected");
              

              Now under Status => System => Logs => System => General, I see following:

              Oct 8 10:22:35	php-cgi		notify_monitor.php: Message sent to <redacted> OK
              Oct 8 10:22:23	php		/tmp/user_code/zZQWIi: About to send a mail ...
              

              And the email was also received with message "VPN Connected" in the body!!

              So seems like we made some progress but still cannot figure out why /root/notify.sh execution from command line is not working as it should.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • S
                serbus
                last edited by

                Hello!

                @PM_13 said in Email Notification - OpenVPN Client Connect (Common Name):

                still cannot figure out why /root/notify.sh execution from command line is not working as it should

                It could be a tcsh-shell-shebang-something issue.

                What about running just:

                /root/notify.sh
                

                John

                Lex parsimoniae

                P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • P
                  PM_13 @serbus
                  last edited by

                  @serbus Yes that solved the issue and script executes from command line!
                  Thanks @Gertjan for all the pointers!

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • M
                    mrvanity
                    last edited by

                    Hello there!
                    The notifications works just fine to my system as well.
                    Thanks for that!

                    I have a couple of questions.

                    1. Can i exclude a specific user from the notifications?
                      I mean that i want to be notified for all users connecting , except one.

                    2. Is there a chance to modify the script to push the data to a MySql instead of sending emails?

                    My regards.

                    GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • GertjanG
                      Gertjan @mrvanity
                      last edited by

                      @mrvanity said in Email Notification - OpenVPN Client Connect (Common Name):

                      Can i exclude a specific user from the notifications?

                      The script is PHP ...., so yes, you can.
                      But because you asked the question, you can't.
                      That is, for now ;)
                      PHP is a very old, very know "language", something like Basic in the eighties and nineties. The entire pfSense GUI is written using it (95 % or more). As half or more of all the web content on the net is produced by ... PHP.

                      This is the "notify.sh" I was using in the past :

                      #!/usr/local/bin/php -q
                      <?php
                              require_once("/etc/inc/notices.inc");
                              $local_connect_value = " user_name: " . getenv('common_name') . " vpn_client_ip: " . getenv('ifconfig_pool_remote_ip') . " on " . date('F j, Y, g:i a');
                              if ( strrchr (__FILE__ , 'disconnect') ) {
                              $local_connect_value .= ", during : " . getenv('time_duration') . " seconds, received : " . getenv('bytes_received') . " bytes, send : " . getenv('bytes_sent') ." bytes. DISCONNRECTED.";
                              }
                              notify_all_remote($local_connect_value);
                      ?>
                      

                      The OpenVPN server process, before it call's our script called "notify.sh", initializes some environment variables, so the script can act upon them.

                      Sop, step 1 : Goto the OpenVPN server doc, and see what openvpn is all about, and, most important : what goes on when you do this :

                      58b44195-b845-4767-a686-6f9208473808-image.png

                      then you will know what info is at the scripts disposal.
                      The getenv() PHP function will get this info.
                      Now you can chose what info you want to mail.

                      Btw :I'm actually getitng the 'common_name' (is that the user name ?), so you could :

                      .....
                      if (getenv('common_name') != "Paul")
                      {
                       // send all info because it's not Paul //
                      }
                      ...
                      

                      No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                      Edit : and where are the logs ??

                      noplanN 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • noplanN
                        noplan @Gertjan
                        last edited by

                        @Gertjan said in Email Notification - OpenVPN Client Connect (Common Name):

                        if (getenv('common_name') != "Paul")

                        didnt we had this discussion some time ago
                        with sending mail rports only when IP / user is part of a group ...

                        have to look it up
                        br from a sunny vacation day NP

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • M
                          mrvanity
                          last edited by mrvanity

                          Hello,
                          Thank you for your answers!
                          I modified the script to the one below

                          The vpn server restarted normally, so i will check with the spesified user and report back.

                          #!/usr/local/bin/php -q
                          <?php
                          	require_once("/etc/inc/notices.inc");
                          	$local_connect_value = " \n user_name: " . getenv('common_name') . " \n vpn_client_ip: " . getenv('ifconfig_pool_remote_ip') ." connected from " . getenv('trusted_ip') . " on " . date('F j, Y, g:i a');
                          	if ( strrchr (__FILE__ , 'disconnect') && (getenv('common_name') != "Paul")) {
                          	$local_connect_value .= ", \n duration : " . round(((getenv('time_duration'))/3600),2) . "  hours, or " . round(((getenv('time_duration'))/60),2) . "  minutes, or " . getenv('time_duration') . "  seconds,\n upload from vpn-client (received) : " . round(((getenv('bytes_received'))/1048576),2) . " MB, \n download to vpn-client (send) : " . round(((getenv('bytes_sent'))/1048576),2) ." MB. \n DISCONNECTED.";
                          notify_all_remote($local_connect_value);
                          }
                          ?>
                          
                          

                          You think that the modification to send the data to a MySql DB is a doable process?

                          My regards.

                          GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • GertjanG
                            Gertjan @mrvanity
                            last edited by

                            @mrvanity said in Email Notification - OpenVPN Client Connect (Common Name):

                            MySql DB

                            pfSense doesn't have the PHP extension that supports MySQL transactions installed by default.
                            You can check that by running :

                            php -m
                            

                            I have the mysqld module, probably because I installed th pfSense Freeradius package, which includes a mysql backend.
                            You could also install it manually with the pkg install ..... command, as it exists on the pfSense-FreeBSD package server.

                            So yes, it's very possible.

                            Btw : This :

                            @mrvanity said in Email Notification - OpenVPN Client Connect (Common Name):

                            FILE

                            is somewhat special.
                            I executed

                            ln -s notify.sh disconnect.sh
                            

                            so disconnect.sh is a symbolic link to connect.sh

                            lrwxr-xr-x   1 root     wheel           9 Oct 10 11:48 disconnect.sh -> notify.sh
                            

                            Now I can use the vpn server command

                            client-disconnect /root/disconnect.sh
                            

                            The FILE instruction detects that the disconnect.sh is called.

                            Btw : it should be 'disconnect.sh', not 'disconnect'

                            This :
                            if ( strrchr (FILE , 'disconnect.sh') && (getenv('common_name') != "Paul"))
                            becomes true if the user Paul disconnects, and thus the file disconnect.sh was called.
                            The VPN server should be instructed to call that script on disconnect.

                            Got it ?

                            Btw : everyting is to be tested of course ^^

                            No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                            Edit : and where are the logs ??

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • P
                              PM_13
                              last edited by PM_13

                              So following scripts seems to be working for me:

                              #!/usr/local/bin/php -q
                              <?php
                              	require_once("/etc/inc/notices.inc");
                              	$local_connect_value = " user_name: " . getenv('common_name') . " vpn_client_ip: " . getenv('ifconfig_pool_remote_ip') . " from: " . getenv('trusted_ip') . " on " . date('F j, Y, g:i a');
                              	if ( strrchr (__FILE__ , 'disconnect') ) {
                              	$local_connect_value .= ", duration : " . getenv('time_duration') . " seconds, received : " . getenv('bytes_received') . " bytes, send : " . getenv('bytes_sent') ." bytes. DISCONNECTED.";
                              	}
                              	notify_all_remote($local_connect_value);
                              ?>
                              
                              

                              If I want to add a subject line or add a line in the body field, what would be the best way to do it? I am asking here as I have no knowledge of PHP coding so can use some help.
                              Thanks.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • S
                                serbus
                                last edited by serbus

                                Hello!

                                You can add content to the end of the current message body with a line like:

                                $local_connect_value .= "\nMore info\n";
                                

                                The notify_all_remote will also send the message to telegram and pushover, but if you only need the smtp message you can use this instead and add a subject :

                                send_smtp_message($local_connect_value, "Subject text", 1);
                                

                                The last parameter 1 is a force value that controls message deduplication, etc...

                                John

                                Lex parsimoniae

                                P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • P
                                  PM_13 @serbus
                                  last edited by

                                  @serbus

                                  Thanks John!!
                                  It worked like a treat, appreciate the pointers 👍 😄

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • noplanN
                                    noplan
                                    last edited by

                                    Cuz im late to the party...
                                    So cool Thx... Gonna test it!!

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • B
                                      boggie1688
                                      last edited by boggie1688

                                      Thanks for this thread!

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • B
                                        boggie1688
                                        last edited by boggie1688

                                        This might be a big ask, but is there a way to get GEOIP info for each IP address connecting to the VPN server? http://geoiplookup.net/xml-api/

                                        It would be nice to have this info populate into the email.

                                        P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • P
                                          PM_13 @boggie1688
                                          last edited by

                                          @boggie1688 I tried MaxMind service a while back but that was almost two years back, you may want to check it out.

                                          B 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • B
                                            boggie1688 @PM_13
                                            last edited by

                                            @PM_13

                                            So I don't know PHP at all, I barely can program hello world. However, I did manage this.

                                            #!/usr/local/bin/php -q
                                            <?php

                                            require_once("/etc/inc/notices.inc");
                                                $queryprefix = "http://api.geoiplookup.net/?query=";
                                                $ip= getenv('trusted_ip');
                                                $urlip =($queryprefix.$ip);
                                                $xml = file_get_contents($urlip);
                                            $local_connect_value = " \n user_name: " . getenv('common_name') . " \n vpn_client_ip: " . getenv('ifconfig_pool_remote_ip') ." connected from " . getenv('trusted_ip') . " on " . date('F j, Y, g:i a') . $xml;
                                            if ( strrchr (__FILE__ , 'disconnect') ) {
                                            $local_connect_value .= ", \n duration : " . round(((getenv('time_duration'))/3600),2) . "  hours, or " . round(((getenv('time_duration'))/60),2) . "  minutes, or " . getenv('time_duration') . "  seconds,\n upload from vpn-client (received) : " . round(((getenv('bytes_received'))/1048576),2) . " MB, \n download to vpn-client (send) : " . round(((getenv('bytes_sent'))/1048576),2) ." MB. \n DISCONNECTED.";
                                            }
                                                $user_remote_ip = "VPN User ". getenv('common_name')." connected from " . getenv('trusted_ip');
                                                send_smtp_message($local_connect_value, $user_remote_ip, 1);
                                            

                                            ?>

                                            It grabs the incoming ip address, and looks it up with geoiplookup.net's xml api. Then prints it into the email.

                                            I really would like to clean up the way it prints. given it just dumps the results from the page. But this is the end of my coding ability, pretty short huh?

                                            I can see the XML has tags <IP><HOST><ISP> etc etc, but I don't really know how just print the tags that I want.

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