SOCFortress Integrations — Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC)

SOCFortress Integrations — Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC)

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The functionality discussed in this post, and so much more, are available via the SOCFortress platform. Let SOCFortress help you and your team keep your infrastructure secure.

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Intro

SOCFortress integration and visualization tools allow security analysts the visualization and triage of Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) logs and events using a single pane of glass.

About Cisco WLC

The Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) solution is a centralised system for managing and controlling a large number of access points (WAPs) within a wireless network.

It is designed to simplify deployment, operation, and monitoring of wireless networks, providing scalability, performance, and advanced security features.

Main features and capabilities

• Centralized Management:
   — Cisco WLC allows administrators to manage hundreds or thousands of access points from a single interface. This simplifies deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting across large wireless networks.
   — Cisco Prime Infrastructure or Cisco DNA Center can be integrated with WLC for even more advanced management, reporting, and automation capabilities.
• Seamless Roaming:
   — The WLC enables seamless Layer 2 and Layer 3 roaming, allowing clients to move across different APs without dropping their connection or experiencing interruptions. This is especially important in environments like hospitals, campuses, or large office complexes.
• High Availability and Redundancy:
   — Cisco WLCs offer redundancy features like N+1 and N+N failover to ensure that wireless services remain operational even if a controller fails.
   — AP Failover: If an access point loses connection to its primary controller, it can automatically switch to a backup controller to maintain wireless coverage.
• Advanced Security Features:
   — WPA3, 802.1X, and integration with RADIUS or LDAP servers for user authentication ensure that only authorized users can access the network.
   — Rogue Detection and Mitigation: Cisco WLC can detect unauthorized APs and prevent them from affecting the network.
   — Access Control Lists (ACLs) and Identity Services Engine (ISE) integration provide additional security layers, allowing policies to be enforced based on user roles.
• Application Visibility and Control (AVC):
   — Cisco WLC includes a deep packet inspection (DPI) engine that can recognize and classify thousands of applications on the network. This helps administrators monitor traffic and enforce bandwidth control policies, ensuring mission-critical applications receive the necessary bandwidth.
• RF Management:
   — Cisco WLC uses CleanAir and Radio Resource Management (RRM) technologies to automatically detect interference and optimize radio channels for better performance and reduced interference.
   — Dynamic channel assignment, power level adjustment, and interference detection are handled automatically by the controller.
• Quality of Service (QoS):
   — WLC supports advanced QoS policies that prioritize different types of traffic, such as voice, video, and data. This ensures optimal performance for real-time applications like VoIP and video conferencing.
• Guest Access and BYOD Support:
   — Cisco WLC allows businesses to set up secure, isolated guest networks with customizable portals for visitors.
   — It also integrates with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) to enable Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) management, allowing employees and guests to securely connect their personal devices to the network.
• FlexConnect Mode:
   — In environments with distributed branch offices, FlexConnect allows APs to maintain some control over traffic and client sessions even if they lose connectivity to the central controller. This reduces the need for additional controllers at each site.

Ingesting Cisco WLC Logs and Events

Reference: https://docs.trendmicro.com/en-us/documentation/article/trend-micro-web-security-online-help-cloud-syslog-forward

In a Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC), log messages follow a structured format that helps network administrators understand events and troubleshoot issues. Log structure:

• Timestamp:
   — The log starts with a timestamp, indicating the exact date and time (in UTC or local time) when the event occurred.
   — Example: `Oct 10 2024 06:18:48.478 UTC`
• Hostname/IP Address:
   — This field indicates the source of the log message, typically showing the WLC’s IP address or hostname.
   — Example: `10.210.52.200`
• Syslog Severity Level:
   — Cisco logs use a severity level to indicate the importance or urgency of the event. The severity level is represented as a number (0–7) or keyword:
   — 0: Emergency — system is unusable
   — 1: Alert — immediate action required
   — 2: Critical — critical conditions
   — 3: Error — error conditions
   — 4: Warning — warning conditions
   — 5: Notice — normal but significant conditions
   — 6: Informational — informational messages
   — 7: Debug — debug-level messages
• Facility/Module:
   — The facility or module that generated the log is identified next. It helps administrators pinpoint which part of the WLC or system generated the message. Examples include SESSION_MGR, CAPWAP, APF, DOT11, etc.

Informational Logs (such as “AAA-5-AAA_AUTH_ADMIN_USER” or “DTLS-5-ESTABLISHED_TO_PEER” above) indicate successful operations.

Warnings or Errors (“DTLS-3-HANDSHAKE_FAILURE” or “CAPWAP-3-DTLS_CLOSED_ERR”) usually imply network, authentication, or configuration issues affecting connectivity or security.

Signal and Containment Warnings (“APF-4-UNABLE_TO_CONTAIN_ROGUE” or “WPS-4-SIG_ALARM_OFF”) often relate to network interference or security policies in the wireless environment.

(See next for relevant events and checks)

Visualisations

Landing page:

Logs by level/severity and WLC (histogram):

Logs by WLC module:

Relevant Events by module

DTLS-5-ESTABLISHED_TO_PEER: Indicates that a secure connection was successfully created, allowing encrypted communication between the WLC and the peer device. Verify all APs are part of the corporate inventory.

CAPWAP-3-DTLS_CLOSED_ERR: This error indicates that a secure CAPWAP session was terminated unexpectedly. It could affect AP connectivity with the WLC, often due to network issues or configuration mismatches. Check network devices (switches) and troubleshoot connectivity.

CAPWAP-3-DTLS_CON_CLOSED: A DTLS session closed normally or due to an idle timeout. Persistent logs could indicate connection instability between the AP and the WLC.

AAA-4-RADIUS_RESPONSE_FAILED: Indicates possible RADIUS server communication issues, network latency, or configuration problems. This affects user authentication.

DTL-4-ARPMAP_DEL_FAILED: Could indicate issues in WLC’s ARP table management, potentially affecting IP mappings for connected devices.

LWAPP-4-AP_DB_ERR1: Indicates an issue in the AP database maintained by the WLC, possibly affecting the AP’s status or connectivity. Verify all APs are part of the corporate inventory. Verify all APs are licensed.

APF-4-UNABLE_TO_CONTAIN_ROGUE: Could indicate network security configuration issues, limiting the WLC’s ability to contain and block unauthorised APs on the network.Verify all APs are part of the corporate inventory. Identify (potential) rogue APs and block access.

DOT1X-4-MAX_EAPOL_KEY_RETRANS: Often seen in 802.1X authentication; suggests wireless clients or APs are struggling to complete the authentication handshake, potentially due to network congestion or configuration issues. Check network devices (switches) and troubleshoot connectivity.

DTLS-3-HANDSHAKE_FAILURE: Usually due to configuration issues, certificate mismatches, or network problems, preventing a secure DTLS session from establishing.Verify all APs are part of the corporate inventory. Verify all APs are licensed. Verify AP cert is still valid.

AAA-5-AAA_AUTH_ADMIN_USER: Indicates an admin login, which is useful for tracking access to the WLC interface. It’s recommended to recieve a notification every time an admin session has occurred in critical infrastructure.

Need Help?

The functionality discussed in this post, and so much more, are available via the SOCFortress platform. Let SOCFortress help you and your team keep your infrastructure secure.

Website: https://www.socfortress.co/

Contact Us: https://www.socfortress.co/contact_form.html