29 KiB
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Set Up IKEv2 VPN
Read this in other languages: English, 简体中文.
Note: You may also connect using IPsec/L2TP or IPsec/XAuth mode.
- Introduction
- Using helper scripts
- Configure IKEv2 VPN clients
- Manage client certificates
- Manually set up IKEv2 on the VPN server
- Known issues
- Remove IKEv2
- References
Introduction
Modern operating systems (such as Windows 7 and newer) support the IKEv2 standard. Internet Key Exchange (IKE or IKEv2) is the protocol used to set up a Security Association (SA) in the IPsec protocol suite. Compared to IKE version 1, IKEv2 contains improvements such as Standard Mobility support through MOBIKE, and improved reliability.
Libreswan can authenticate IKEv2 clients on the basis of X.509 Machine Certificates using RSA signatures. This method does not require an IPsec PSK, username or password. It can be used with:
- Windows 7, 8.x and 10
- OS X (macOS)
- Android 4.x and newer (using the strongSwan VPN client)
- iOS (iPhone/iPad)
After following this guide, you will be able to connect to the VPN using IKEv2 in addition to the existing IPsec/L2TP and IPsec/XAuth ("Cisco IPsec") modes.
Using helper scripts
New: For macOS and iOS clients, the helper script can now create .mobileconfig files to simplify client setup and improve VPN performance.
Important: Before continuing, you should have successfully set up your own VPN server, and (optional but recommended) updated Libreswan. Docker users, see here.
Use this helper script to automatically set up IKEv2 on the VPN server:
wget https://git.io/ikev2setup -O ikev2.sh && sudo bash ikev2.sh --auto
The script must be run using bash
, not sh
. The command above runs the helper script in auto mode, using default options. Remove the --auto
parameter if you want to customize IKEv2 setup options. When finished, continue to configure IKEv2 VPN clients.
Configure IKEv2 VPN clients
Read this in other languages: English, 简体中文.
Note: If you want to generate certificates for additional VPN clients, or export configuration for an existing client, just run the helper script again.
Windows 7, 8.x and 10
-
Securely transfer the generated
.p12
file to your computer, then import it into the "Computer account" certificate store. Make sure that the client cert is placed in "Personal -> Certificates", and the CA cert is placed in "Trusted Root Certification Authorities -> Certificates".Detailed instructions:
https://wiki.strongswan.org/projects/strongswan/wiki/Win7CertsNote: Ubuntu 18.04 users may encounter the error "The password you entered is incorrect" when trying to import the generated
.p12
file into Windows. See Known issues. -
On the Windows computer, add a new IKEv2 VPN connection:
https://wiki.strongswan.org/projects/strongswan/wiki/Win7ConfigNote: If you specified the server's DNS name (instead of its IP address) during IKEv2 setup, you must enter the DNS name in the Internet address field.
-
(Optional but recommended) Enable stronger ciphers for IKEv2 with a one-time registry change. Download and import the
.reg
file below, or run the following from an elevated command prompt. Read more here.-
For Windows 7, 8.x and 10 (download .reg file)
REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\Parameters /v NegotiateDH2048_AES256 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x1 /f
-
-
Start the new VPN connection, and enjoy your IKEv2 VPN!
https://wiki.strongswan.org/projects/strongswan/wiki/Win7Connect
Once successfully connected, you can verify that your traffic is being routed properly by looking up your IP address on Google. It should say "Your public IP address is Your VPN Server IP
".
OS X (macOS)
First, securely transfer the generated .mobileconfig
file to your Mac, then double-click and follow the prompts to import as a macOS profile. When finished, check to make sure "IKEv2 VPN configuration" is listed under System Preferences -> Profiles.
- Open System Preferences and go to the Network section.
- Select the VPN connection with
Your VPN Server IP
(or DNS name). - Check the Show VPN status in menu bar checkbox.
- Click Connect.
(Optional feature) You can choose to enable VPN On Demand. This is an "always-on" feature that can automatically connect to the VPN while on Wi-Fi. To enable, check the Connect on demand checkbox for the VPN connection, and click Apply.
If you manually set up IKEv2 without using the helper script, click here for instructions.
First, securely transfer the generated .p12
file to your Mac, then double-click to import into the login keychain in Keychain Access. Next, double-click on the imported IKEv2 VPN CA
certificate, expand Trust and select Always Trust from the IP Security (IPsec) drop-down menu. Close the dialog using the red "X" on the top-left corner. When prompted, use Touch ID or enter your password and click "Update Settings".
When finished, check to make sure both the new client certificate and IKEv2 VPN CA
are listed under the Certificates category of login keychain.
- Open System Preferences and go to the Network section.
- Click the + button in the lower-left corner of the window.
- Select VPN from the Interface drop-down menu.
- Select IKEv2 from the VPN Type drop-down menu.
- Enter anything you like for the Service Name.
- Click Create.
- Enter
Your VPN Server IP
(or DNS name) for the Server Address.
Note: If you specified the server's DNS name (instead of its IP address) during IKEv2 setup, you must enter the DNS name in the Server Address and Remote ID fields. - Enter
Your VPN Server IP
(or DNS name) for the Remote ID. - Enter
Your VPN client name
in the Local ID field.
Note: This must match exactly the client name you specified during IKEv2 setup. Same as the first part of your.p12
filename. - Click the Authentication Settings... button.
- Select None from the Authentication Settings drop-down menu.
- Select the Certificate radio button, then select the new client certificate.
- Click OK.
- Check the Show VPN status in menu bar checkbox.
- Click Apply to save the VPN connection information.
- Click Connect.
Once successfully connected, you can verify that your traffic is being routed properly by looking up your IP address on Google. It should say "Your public IP address is Your VPN Server IP
".
iOS
First, securely transfer the generated .mobileconfig
file to your iOS device, then import it as an iOS profile. To transfer the file, you may use:
- AirDrop, or
- Upload to your device using "File Sharing" in iTunes, then open the "Files" app on your iOS device, move the uploaded file to the "On My iPhone" folder. After that, tap the file and go to "Settings" to import, or
- Host the file on a secure website of yours, then download and import it in Mobile Safari.
When finished, check to make sure "IKEv2 VPN configuration" is listed under Settings -> General -> Profile(s).
- Go to Settings -> General -> VPN.
- Select the VPN connection with
Your VPN Server IP
(or DNS name). - Slide the VPN switch ON.
(Optional feature) You can choose to enable VPN On Demand. This is an "always-on" feature that can automatically connect to the VPN while on Wi-Fi. To enable, tap the "i" icon on the right of the VPN connection, and enable Connect On Demand.
If you manually set up IKEv2 without using the helper script, click here for instructions.
First, securely transfer the generated ikev2vpnca.cer
and .p12
files to your iOS device, then import them one by one as iOS profiles. To transfer the files, you may use:
- AirDrop, or
- Upload to your device using "File Sharing" in iTunes, then open the "Files" app on your iOS device, move the uploaded files to the "On My iPhone" folder. After that, tap each file and go to "Settings" to import, or
- Host the files on a secure website of yours, then download and import them in Mobile Safari.
When finished, check to make sure both the new client certificate and IKEv2 VPN CA
are listed under Settings -> General -> Profiles.
- Go to Settings -> General -> VPN.
- Tap Add VPN Configuration....
- Tap Type. Select IKEv2 and go back.
- Tap Description and enter anything you like.
- Tap Server and enter
Your VPN Server IP
(or DNS name).
Note: If you specified the server's DNS name (instead of its IP address) during IKEv2 setup, you must enter the DNS name in the Server and Remote ID fields. - Tap Remote ID and enter
Your VPN Server IP
(or DNS name). - Enter
Your VPN client name
in the Local ID field.
Note: This must match exactly the client name you specified during IKEv2 setup. Same as the first part of your.p12
filename. - Tap User Authentication. Select None and go back.
- Make sure the Use Certificate switch is ON.
- Tap Certificate. Select the new client certificate and go back.
- Tap Done.
- Slide the VPN switch ON.
Once successfully connected, you can verify that your traffic is being routed properly by looking up your IP address on Google. It should say "Your public IP address is Your VPN Server IP
".
Android
- Securely transfer the generated
.sswan
file to your Android device. - Install strongSwan VPN Client from Google Play.
- Launch the strongSwan VPN client.
- Tap the "more options" menu on top right, then tap Import VPN profile.
- Choose the
.sswan
file you transferred from the VPN server.
Note: To find the.sswan
file, tap the three-line menu button, then browse to the location you saved the file. - On the "Import VPN profile" screen, tap IMPORT CERTIFICATE FROM VPN PROFILE, and follow the prompts.
- On the "Choose certificate" screen, select the new client certificate, then tap Select.
- Tap IMPORT.
- Tap the new VPN profile to connect.
(Optional feature) You can choose to enable the "Always-on VPN" feature on Android. Launch the Settings app, go to Network & internet -> Advanced -> VPN, click the gear icon on the right of "strongSwan VPN Client", then enable the "Always-on VPN" and "Block connections without VPN" options.
If you manually set up IKEv2 without using the helper script, click here for instructions.
Android 10 and newer:
- Securely transfer the generated
.p12
file to your Android device. - Install strongSwan VPN Client from Google Play.
- Launch the Settings application.
- Go to Security -> Advanced -> Encryption & credentials.
- Tap Install certificates from storage (or SD card).
- Choose the
.p12
file you transferred from the VPN server, and follow the prompts.
Note: To find the.p12
file, tap the three-line menu button, then browse to the location you saved the file. - Launch the strongSwan VPN client and tap Add VPN Profile.
- Enter
Your VPN Server IP
(or DNS name) in the Server field.
Note: If you specified the server's DNS name (instead of its IP address) during IKEv2 setup, you must enter the DNS name in the Server field. - Select IKEv2 Certificate from the VPN Type drop-down menu.
- Tap Select user certificate, select the new client certificate and confirm.
- (Important) Tap Show advanced settings. Scroll down, find and enable the Use RSA/PSS signatures option.
- Save the new VPN connection, then tap to connect.
Android 4 to 9:
- Securely transfer the generated
.p12
file to your Android device. - Install strongSwan VPN Client from Google Play.
- Launch the strongSwan VPN client and tap Add VPN Profile.
- Enter
Your VPN Server IP
(or DNS name) in the Server field.
Note: If you specified the server's DNS name (instead of its IP address) during IKEv2 setup, you must enter the DNS name in the Server field. - Select IKEv2 Certificate from the VPN Type drop-down menu.
- Tap Select user certificate, then tap Install certificate.
- Choose the
.p12
file you transferred from the VPN server, and follow the prompts.
Note: To find the.p12
file, tap the three-line menu button, then browse to the location you saved the file. - (Important) Tap Show advanced settings. Scroll down, find and enable the Use RSA/PSS signatures option.
- Save the new VPN connection, then tap to connect.
Once successfully connected, you can verify that your traffic is being routed properly by looking up your IP address on Google. It should say "Your public IP address is Your VPN Server IP
".
Manage client certificates
Add a client certificate
If you want to generate certificates for additional IKEv2 VPN clients, just run the helper script again. Or you may refer to step 4 in this section.
Export configuration for an existing client
By default, the IKEv2 helper script exports client configuration after running. If later you want to export configuration for an existing client, run the helper script again and select the appropriate option.
Revoke a client certificate
In certain circumstances, you may need to revoke a previously generated VPN client certificate. This can be done using crlutil
. See example steps below, commands must be run as root
.
-
Check the database, and identify the nickname of the client certificate you want to revoke.
certutil -L -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d
Certificate Nickname Trust Attributes SSL,S/MIME,JAR/XPI IKEv2 VPN CA CTu,u,u ($PUBLIC_IP) u,u,u vpnclient-to-revoke u,u,u
In this example, we will revoke the certificate with nickname
vpnclient-to-revoke
, issued byIKEv2 VPN CA
. -
Find the serial number of this client certificate.
certutil -L -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -n "vpnclient-to-revoke"
Certificate: Data: Version: 3 (0x2) Serial Number: 00:cd:69:ff:74 ... ...
From the output, we see that the serial number is
CD69FF74
in hexadecimal, which is3446275956
in decimal. It will be used in the next steps. -
Create a new Certificate Revocation List (CRL). You only need to do this once for each CA.
if ! crlutil -L -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -n "IKEv2 VPN CA" 2>/dev/null; then crlutil -G -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -n "IKEv2 VPN CA" -c /dev/null fi
CRL Info: : Version: 2 (0x1) Signature Algorithm: PKCS #1 SHA-256 With RSA Encryption Issuer: "O=IKEv2 VPN,CN=IKEv2 VPN CA" This Update: Sat Jun 06 22:00:00 2020 CRL Extensions:
-
Add the client certificate you want to revoke to the CRL. Here we specify the certificate's serial number in decimal, and the revocation time in GeneralizedTime format (YYYYMMDDhhmmssZ) in UTC.
crlutil -M -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -n "IKEv2 VPN CA" <<EOF addcert 3446275956 20200606220100Z EOF
CRL Info: : Version: 2 (0x1) Signature Algorithm: PKCS #1 SHA-256 With RSA Encryption Issuer: "O=IKEv2 VPN,CN=IKEv2 VPN CA" This Update: Sat Jun 06 22:02:00 2020 Entry 1 (0x1): Serial Number: 00:cd:69:ff:74 Revocation Date: Sat Jun 06 22:01:00 2020 CRL Extensions:
Note: If you want to remove a certificate from the CRL, replace
addcert 3446275956 20200606220100Z
above withrmcert 3446275956
. For othercrlutil
usage, read here. -
Finally, let Libreswan re-read the updated CRL.
ipsec crls
Manually set up IKEv2 on the VPN server
As an alternative to using the helper script, advanced users can manually set up IKEv2. The following example shows how to manually configure IKEv2 with Libreswan. Commands below must be run as root
.
-
Find the VPN server's public IP, save it to a variable and check.
PUBLIC_IP=$(dig @resolver1.opendns.com -t A -4 myip.opendns.com +short) [ -z "$PUBLIC_IP" ] && PUBLIC_IP=$(wget -t 3 -T 15 -qO- http://ipv4.icanhazip.com) printf '%s\n' "$PUBLIC_IP"
Check to make sure the output matches the server's public IP. This variable is required in the steps below.
Note: Alternatively, you may specify the server's DNS name here. e.g.
PUBLIC_IP=myvpn.example.com
. -
Add a new IKEv2 connection:
if ! grep -qs '^include /etc/ipsec\.d/\*\.conf$' /etc/ipsec.conf; then echo >> /etc/ipsec.conf echo 'include /etc/ipsec.d/*.conf' >> /etc/ipsec.conf fi
cat > /etc/ipsec.d/ikev2.conf <<EOF conn ikev2-cp left=%defaultroute leftcert=$PUBLIC_IP leftid=@$PUBLIC_IP leftsendcert=always leftsubnet=0.0.0.0/0 leftrsasigkey=%cert right=%any rightid=%fromcert rightaddresspool=192.168.43.10-192.168.43.250 rightca=%same rightrsasigkey=%cert narrowing=yes dpddelay=30 dpdtimeout=120 dpdaction=clear auto=add ikev2=insist rekey=no pfs=no fragmentation=yes ike=aes256-sha2,aes128-sha2,aes256-sha1,aes128-sha1,aes256-sha2;modp1024,aes128-sha1;modp1024 phase2alg=aes_gcm-null,aes128-sha1,aes256-sha1,aes128-sha2,aes256-sha2 ikelifetime=24h salifetime=24h EOF
We need to add a few more lines to that file. First check your Libreswan version, then run one of the following commands:
ipsec --version
For Libreswan 3.23 and newer:
cat >> /etc/ipsec.d/ikev2.conf <<EOF modecfgdns="8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4" encapsulation=yes mobike=no EOF
Note: The MOBIKE IKEv2 extension allows VPN clients to change network attachment points, e.g. switch between mobile data and Wi-Fi and keep the IPsec tunnel up on the new IP. If your server (or Docker host) is NOT running Ubuntu Linux, and you wish to enable MOBIKE support, replace
mobike=no
withmobike=yes
in the command above. DO NOT enable this option on Ubuntu systems or Raspberry Pis.For Libreswan 3.19-3.22:
cat >> /etc/ipsec.d/ikev2.conf <<EOF modecfgdns1=8.8.8.8 modecfgdns2=8.8.4.4 encapsulation=yes EOF
For Libreswan 3.18 and older:
cat >> /etc/ipsec.d/ikev2.conf <<EOF modecfgdns1=8.8.8.8 modecfgdns2=8.8.4.4 forceencaps=yes EOF
-
Generate Certificate Authority (CA) and VPN server certificates.
Note: Specify the certificate validity period (in months) with "-v". e.g. "-v 120".
Generate CA certificate:
certutil -z <(head -c 1024 /dev/urandom) \ -S -x -n "IKEv2 VPN CA" \ -s "O=IKEv2 VPN,CN=IKEv2 VPN CA" \ -k rsa -g 4096 -v 120 \ -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -t "CT,," -2
Generating key. This may take a few moments... Is this a CA certificate [y/N]? y Enter the path length constraint, enter to skip [<0 for unlimited path]: > Is this a critical extension [y/N]? N
Generate VPN server certificate:
Note: If you specified the server's DNS name (instead of its IP address) in step 1 above, you must replace
--extSAN "ip:$PUBLIC_IP,dns:$PUBLIC_IP"
in the command below with--extSAN "dns:$PUBLIC_IP"
.certutil -z <(head -c 1024 /dev/urandom) \ -S -c "IKEv2 VPN CA" -n "$PUBLIC_IP" \ -s "O=IKEv2 VPN,CN=$PUBLIC_IP" \ -k rsa -g 4096 -v 120 \ -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -t ",," \ --keyUsage digitalSignature,keyEncipherment \ --extKeyUsage serverAuth \ --extSAN "ip:$PUBLIC_IP,dns:$PUBLIC_IP"
Generating key. This may take a few moments...
-
Generate client certificate(s), then export the
.p12
file that contains the client certificate, private key, and CA certificate.Note: You may repeat this step to generate certificates for additional VPN clients, but make sure to replace every
vpnclient
withvpnclient2
, etc. To connect multiple VPN clients simultaneously, you must generate a unique certificate for each.Generate client certificate:
certutil -z <(head -c 1024 /dev/urandom) \ -S -c "IKEv2 VPN CA" -n "vpnclient" \ -s "O=IKEv2 VPN,CN=vpnclient" \ -k rsa -g 4096 -v 120 \ -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -t ",," \ --keyUsage digitalSignature,keyEncipherment \ --extKeyUsage serverAuth,clientAuth -8 "vpnclient"
Generating key. This may take a few moments...
Export
.p12
file:pk12util -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -n "vpnclient" -o vpnclient.p12
Enter password for PKCS12 file: Re-enter password: pk12util: PKCS12 EXPORT SUCCESSFUL
Enter a secure password to protect the exported
.p12
file (when importing into an iOS or macOS device, this password cannot be empty). -
(For iOS clients) Export the CA certificate as
ikev2vpnca.cer
:certutil -L -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -n "IKEv2 VPN CA" -a -o ikev2vpnca.cer
-
The database should now contain:
certutil -L -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d
Certificate Nickname Trust Attributes SSL,S/MIME,JAR/XPI IKEv2 VPN CA CTu,u,u ($PUBLIC_IP) u,u,u vpnclient u,u,u
Note: To display a certificate, use
certutil -L -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -n "Nickname"
. To revoke a client certificate, follow these steps. For othercertutil
usage, read here. -
(Important) Restart the IPsec service:
service ipsec restart
Before continuing, you must restart the IPsec service. The IKEv2 setup on the VPN server is now complete. Follow instructions to configure VPN clients.
Known issues
-
The built-in VPN client in Windows may not support IKEv2 fragmentation (this feature requires Windows 10 v1803 or newer). On some networks, this can cause the connection to fail or have other issues. You may instead try the IPsec/L2TP or IPsec/XAuth mode.
-
Ubuntu 18.04 users may encounter the error "The password you entered is incorrect" when trying to import the generated
.p12
file into Windows. This is due to a bug inNSS
. Read more here.Workaround for the NSS bug on Ubuntu 18.04
Note: This workaround should only be used on Ubuntu 18.04 systems running on the
x86_64
architecture. As of 2021-01-21, the IKEv2 helper script was updated to automatically apply this workaround.First, install newer versions of
libnss3
related packages:wget https://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/n/nss/libnss3_3.49.1-1ubuntu1.5_amd64.deb wget https://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/n/nss/libnss3-dev_3.49.1-1ubuntu1.5_amd64.deb wget https://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/universe/n/nss/libnss3-tools_3.49.1-1ubuntu1.5_amd64.deb apt-get -y update apt-get -y install "./libnss3_3.49.1-1ubuntu1.5_amd64.deb" \ "./libnss3-dev_3.49.1-1ubuntu1.5_amd64.deb" \ "./libnss3-tools_3.49.1-1ubuntu1.5_amd64.deb"
After that, export configuration for the IKEv2 client again.
-
If using the strongSwan Android VPN client, you must upgrade Libreswan on your server to version 3.26 or above.
Remove IKEv2
If you want to remove IKEv2 from the VPN server, but keep the IPsec/L2TP and IPsec/XAuth ("Cisco IPsec") modes, run the helper script again and select the "Remove IKEv2" option. Note that this will delete all IKEv2 configuration including certificates, and cannot be undone!
Alternatively, you can manually remove IKEv2. Click here for instructions.
To manually remove IKEv2 from the VPN server, but keep the IPsec/L2TP and IPsec/XAuth ("Cisco IPsec") modes, follow these steps. Commands must be run as root
. Note that this will delete all IKEv2 configuration including certificates, and cannot be undone!
-
Rename (or delete) the IKEv2 config file:
mv /etc/ipsec.d/ikev2.conf /etc/ipsec.d/ikev2.conf.bak
Note: If you used an older version (before 2020-05-31) of the IKEv2 helper script or instructions, file
/etc/ipsec.d/ikev2.conf
may not exist. In this case, please instead remove theconn ikev2-cp
section from file/etc/ipsec.conf
. -
(Important) Restart the IPsec service:
service ipsec restart
-
List certificates in the IPsec database:
certutil -L -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d
Example output:
Certificate Nickname Trust Attributes SSL,S/MIME,JAR/XPI IKEv2 VPN CA CTu,u,u ($PUBLIC_IP) u,u,u vpnclient u,u,u
-
Delete certificates. Replace "Nickname" below with each certificate's nickname. Repeat for each certificate. When finished, list certificates in the IPsec database again, and confirm that the list is empty.
certutil -D -d sql:/etc/ipsec.d -n "Nickname"
References
- https://libreswan.org/wiki/VPN_server_for_remote_clients_using_IKEv2
- https://libreswan.org/wiki/HOWTO:_Using_NSS_with_libreswan
- https://libreswan.org/man/ipsec.conf.5.html
- https://wiki.strongswan.org/projects/strongswan/wiki/WindowsClients
- https://wiki.strongswan.org/projects/strongswan/wiki/AndroidVpnClient
- https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Projects/NSS/tools/NSS_Tools_certutil
- https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Projects/NSS/tools/NSS_Tools_crlutil