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Setting Up TACACS+ on OpenBSD 7.4 for Legacy Network Devices

Patrick de Ruiter

Patrick de Ruiter

— 2 min read
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Setting Up TACACS+ on OpenBSD 7.4 for Legacy Network Devices

TACACS+ (Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System Plus) is a protocol that provides authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) services. It is commonly used to control access to network devices, providing a centralized authentication mechanism. OpenBSD, known for its security-oriented approach, offers a stable and reliable environment for running TACACS+.

Critical Security Warning: TACACS+ is horribly insecure and should only be used when no better alternatives, such as RADIUS with RadSec, are available. It transmits authentication information in a way that is susceptible to interception, making it unsuitable for modern secure environments. Additionally, TACACS+ stores passwords in clear text, which poses a significant security risk.

TACACS+ should only be used in a network segment that has no direct internet access and in a VLAN that is exclusively dedicated to management purposes. It should only be deployed when there is no other way to centrally manage devices.

Use Case: I use TACACS+ for authenticating to some old Zyxel switches that do not work well with RADIUS, making it a necessary compromise in specific legacy environments.

Step 1: Install TACACS+ on OpenBSD

First, install the TACACS+ package using pkg_add:

pkg_add tacacs+

Step 2: Configure Log Rotation

To ensure that TACACS+ logs do not grow indefinitely, add the following entries to /etc/newsyslog.conf:

/var/log/tac_plus/tac.acct        _tacacs:_tacacs 644  7     250  *     Z
/var/log/tac_plus/tac.log         _tacacs:_tacacs 644  7     250  *     Z
/var/log/tac_plus/tacwho.log      _tacacs:_tacacs 644  7     250  *     Z

Restart the syslog daemon:

kill -HUP $(cat /var/run/syslog.pid)

Step 3: Configure TACACS+

Edit /etc/tac_plus.conf:

key = "your_shared_secret_here"

# Default accounting file
accounting file = /var/log/tac_plus/tac.acct
accounting syslog

# User definition
user = administrator {
  global = cleartext your_password_here
}

Change the shared secret and user password to secure values.

Step 4: Configure Listening Interface

To restrict TACACS+ to a specific management network, modify /etc/rc.d/tac_plus to include:

-B 192.168.2.254

This ensures TACACS+ listens only on the management network.

Step 5: Enable and Start TACACS+

rcctl enable tac_plus
rcctl start tac_plus

Verify the service:

rcctl check tac_plus
netstat -an | grep 49

Step 6: Secure and Harden the Setup

Follow these best practices:

  • Restrict access: Use firewall rules to allow only trusted devices.
  • Use encryption: Implement encrypted communication channels where possible.
  • Rotate credentials: Regularly update shared secrets and user passwords.
  • Monitor logs: Periodically review logs for suspicious activities.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you have successfully installed and configured a TACACS+ server on OpenBSD 7.4. However, TACACS+ is fundamentally insecure and should only be used when no better alternatives are available.

Key Takeaways:

  • TACACS+ stores passwords in clear text, making it extremely insecure.
  • It should only be deployed in a segmented network with no direct internet access.
  • It should only be used when no other option exists for centrally managing legacy devices.

If possible, consider migrating to a more secure authentication mechanism to better protect your network environment.

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