Q24. A client has accessed an HTTPS server at myhost1.example.com using Chrome. The server sends a certificate that includes these properties:
Subject name: myhost.example.com
SAN: DNS: myhost.example.com; DNS: myhost1.example.com
Extended Key Usage (EKU): Server authentication
Issuer: MyCA_Signing
The server also sends an intermediate CA certificate for MyCA_Signing, which is signed by MyCA. The client’s Trusted CA Certificate list does not include the MyCA or MyCA_Signing certificates.
Which factor or factors prevent the client from trusting the certificate?
When a client (e.g., a Chrome browser) accesses an HTTPS server, the server presents a certificate to establish a secure connection. The client must validate the certificate to trust the server. The certificate in this scenario has the following properties:
Subject name: myhost.example.com
SAN (Subject Alternative Name): DNS: myhost.example.com; DNS: myhost1.example.com Extended Key Usage (EKU): Server authentication Issuer: MyCA_Signing (an intermediate CA) The server also sends an intermediate CA certificate for MyCA_Signing, signed by MyCA (the root CA).
The client’s Trusted CA Certificate list does not include MyCA or MyCA_Signing.
Certificate Validation Process:
Name Validation: The client checks if the server’s hostname (myhost1.example.com) matches the Subject name or a SAN in the certificate. Here, the SAN includes “myhost1.example.com,” so the name validation passes.
EKU Validation: The client verifies that the certificate’s EKU includes “Server authentication,” which is required for HTTPS. The EKU is correctly set to “Server authentication,” so this validation passes.
Chain of Trust Validation: The client builds a certificate chain from the server’s certificate to a trusted root CA in its Trusted CA Certificate list. The chain is:
Server certificate (issued by MyCA_Signing)
Intermediate CA certificate (MyCA_Signing, issued by MyCA)
Root CA certificate (MyCA, which should be in the client’s trust store) The client’s Trusted CA Certificate list does not include MyCA or MyCA_Signing, meaning the client cannot build a chain to a trusted root CA. This causes the validation to fail.
Option A, “The client does not have the correct trusted CA certificates,” is correct. The client’s trust store must include the root CA (MyCA) to trust the certificate chain. Since MyCA is not in the client’s Trusted CA Certificate list, the client cannot validate the chain, and the certificate is not trusted.
Option B, “The certificate lacks a valid SAN,” is incorrect. The SAN includes “myhost1.example.com,” which matches the server’s hostname, so the SAN is valid.
Option C, “The certificate lacks the correct EKU,” is incorrect. The EKU is set to “Server authentication,” which is appropriate for HTTPS.
Option D, “The certificate lacks a valid SAN, and the client does not have the correct trusted CA certificates,” is incorrect because the SAN is valid, as explained above. The only issue is the missing trusted CA certificates.
The HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX 10.12 Security Guide states:
“For a client to trust a server’s certificate during HTTPS communication, the client must validate the certificate chain to a trusted root CA in its trust store. If the root CA (e.g., MyCA) or intermediate CA (e.g., MyCA_Signing) is not in the client’s Trusted CA Certificate list, the chain of trust cannot be established, and the client will reject the certificate. The Subject Alternative Name (SAN) must include the server’s hostname, and the Extended Key Usage (EKU) must include ‘Server authentication’ for HTTPS.” (Page 205, Certificate Validation Section) Additionally, the HPE Aruba Networking Security Fundamentals Guide notes:
“A common reason for certificate validation failure is the absence of the root CA certificate in the client’s trust store. For example, if a server’s certificate is issued by an intermediate CA (e.g., MyCA_Signing) that chains to a root CA (e.g., MyCA), the client must have the root CA certificate in its Trusted CA Certificate list to trust the chain.” (Page 45, Certificate Trust Issues Section)
:
HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX 10.12 Security Guide, Certificate Validation Section, Page 205.
HPE Aruba Networking Security Fundamentals Guide, Certificate Trust Issues Section, Page 45.
Q38. A company has HPE Aruba Networking Mobility Controllers (MCs), HPE Aruba Networking campus APs, and AOS-CX switches. The company plans to use HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) to classify endpoints by type. The company is contemplating the use of ClearPass’s TCP fingerprinting capabilities.
What is a consideration for using those capabilities?
HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) uses TCP fingerprinting as a passive profiling method to classify endpoints by analyzing TCP packet headers (e.g., TTL, window size) to identify the operating system (e.g., Windows, Linux). The company in this scenario has Mobility Controllers (MCs), campus APs, and AOS-CX switches, and wants to use CPPM’s TCP fingerprinting capabilities for endpoint classification.
TCP Fingerprinting: This method requires CPPM to receive TCP traffic from endpoints. Since CPPM is not typically inline with network traffic, the traffic must be mirrored to CPPM for analysis. This is often done using a SPAN (Switched Port Analyzer) port or mirror port on a switch or controller.
Option A, “You will need to mirror traffic to one of CPPM’s span ports from a device such as a core routing switch,” is correct. For CPPM to perform TCP fingerprinting, it needs to see the TCP traffic from endpoints. This is typically achieved by mirroring traffic from a core routing switch (or another device like an MC) to a SPAN port on the CPPM server. For example, on an AOS-CX switch, you can configure a mirror session with the command mirror session 1 destination interface <CPPM-port> source vlan <vlan-id> to send traffic to CPPM. This is a key consideration for enabling TCP fingerprinting.
Option B, “ClearPass admins will need to provide the credentials of an API admin account to configure on HPE Aruba Networking devices,” is incorrect. TCP fingerprinting does not require API credentials. It is a passive profiling method that analyzes mirrored traffic, and no API interaction is needed between CPPM and Aruba devices for this purpose.
Option C, “AOS-CX switches do not offer the support necessary for CPPM to use TCP fingerprinting on wired endpoints,” is incorrect. AOS-CX switches support mirroring traffic to CPPM (e.g., using a mirror session), which enables CPPM to perform TCP fingerprinting on wired endpoints. The switch does not need to perform the fingerprinting itself; it only needs to send the traffic to CPPM.
Option D, “TCP fingerprinting of wireless endpoints requires a third-party Mobility Device Management (MDM) solution,” is incorrect. TCP fingerprinting is a built-in capability of CPPM and does not require an MDM solution. For wireless endpoints, the MC can mirror client traffic to CPPM (e.g., using a datapath mirror), allowing CPPM to perform TCP fingerprinting.
The HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager 6.11 User Guide states:
“TCP fingerprinting requires ClearPass to receive TCP traffic from endpoints for analysis. A key consideration is that you must mirror traffic to one of ClearPass’s SPAN ports from a device such as a core routing switch or Mobility Controller. For example, on an AOS-CX switch, configure a mirror session with mirror session 1 destination interface <CPPM-port> source vlan <vlan-id> to send traffic to ClearPass for TCP fingerprinting.” (Page 248, TCP Fingerprinting Section) Additionally, the HPE Aruba Networking AOS-8 8.11 User Guide notes:
“For ClearPass to perform TCP fingerprinting on wireless endpoints, the Mobility Controller can mirror client traffic to ClearPass using a datapath mirror. For wired endpoints, an AOS-CX switch can mirror traffic to ClearPass’s SPAN port, enabling TCP fingerprinting without requiring additional support on the switch itself.” (Page 351, Device Profiling with CPPM Section)
:
HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager 6.11 User Guide, TCP Fingerprinting Section, Page 248.
HPE Aruba Networking AOS-8 8.11 User Guide, Device Profiling with CPPM Section, Page 351.