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VRDominopeople
VRDominopeople
New Member
July 6, 2018
Solved

Blocking all traffic to server except one URL https connection, Fortigate 90e

  • July 6, 2018
  • 3 replies
  • 24053 views

Hi there guys, we are a company that develops software for a small company. We have developed an app that makes a connection to a box server in the company using Domino Access services. It is a REST API https connection. The app is making a GET request and server sends back data in JSON format. Our app is hosted in IBM Cloud and it has public url it uses for communication. The IT security of the company is managed by a different IT technical support company and they are using FortiGate 90e firewall. The person configuring this firewall was unable to quickly have a suitable solution on how to restrict EVERYTHING else from communicating with server except that one app that has dedicated URL. We tried to block connection based on IP, but since the app is hosted in the cloud IPs can change, we were given IP ranges by IBM, but they don't even match the IP of request of the app. So we are thinking on restricting everything except these https requests from an app that was given URL by IBM cloud in the form of: "myFancyApp.mybluemix.net." Can anyone please kindly guide us through making that nice helpful person through configuring his Fortigate 90e firewall to allow our app to communicate through firewall with that server and block everything else in the world ? We will appreciate any links to "cookbooks" and advice, thank you most kindly in advance. 

    Best answer by DingDong

    Hi

     

    WIth the IPv4 policy it still should be possible, given that either a) you know the IP address or range the http get request comes from or b) you can limit the origin of the http get request to an FQDN (or a number of them) and do not need to use a wildcard FQDN. This way you don't need to use a web filter at all. The policy would look something like the attached picture (you still can add multiple FQDNs to the source but not a wildcard FQDN).

     

    By the way, I am just thinking, maybe it would be possible with the application control feature, but I'm not enough into it to tell you that exactly.

     

    See if that works for you!

    3 replies

    emnoc
    emnoc
    New Member
    July 6, 2018

    You should use some type auth at the app like a API-KEy but that's not for me to debate. Is the RESTful call done thru HTTP or HTTPS?

     

    VRDominopeople
    VRDominopeopleAuthor
    New Member
    July 6, 2018

    Thanks for responding. It is IBM Domino Server, it is secured by SHA2 and it has encryption certificate, http connections are not allowed. The app is making htttps GET requests, the server returns data in JSON format. With firewall on, connections from app hosted in the IBM cloud are timing out and failing, when firewall was disabled for 5 minutes, we could get connection back from server. The server is dedicated to provide data to that one single app and nothing else. We are trying to figure out how to explain firewall administrator how to configure his managed firewall.

    Deepakkhw
    Deepakkhw
    New Member
    July 9, 2018

    Hi,

    You can make it possible with static URL filter option in FortiGate. 

    1. First Line: First Simply allow the Simple URL (Your static URL)

    2. Second Line: Block "mybluemix.net" with the wildcard.

     

    http://help.fortinet.com/fos50hlp/54/Content/FortiOS/fortigate-security-profiles-54/Web_Filter/Static%20URL%20Filter.htm

     

     

    VRDominopeople
    VRDominopeopleAuthor
    New Member
    July 9, 2018

    Good sir, I thank you most kindly ! I don't know yet if I can make use of this, and if it works, but it most definitely answers the question I asked.

    DingDong
    DingDong
    New Member
    July 9, 2018

    Hi

    I would do it with a policy from internal interface to public interface, from all internal addresses to an FQDN.

    If this doesn't work because unfortunately on the IPv4 policy you can't have wildcard FQDNs, then I would have the IT guy make a web filter. Block all categories and then in the section called 'static URL filter' you can set URL overrides and put there FQDNs and wildcard FQDNs that are allowed to bypass the web filter.

    If you need more details let me know.

    Mandla
    Mandla
    New Member
    November 8, 2018

    I am so frustrated....i just bought huawei router....i work with a lot of clients, when i visit some client sites....i find them blocked....how on earth do i disable this thing....it is tempering with my ability to deliver....so frustrated PLEASE help me mndsibanda@gmail.com

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