VLANs and Security

VLANs are a great way to segment a network and isolate subnetworks, but there are security issues which need to be taken into account when designing and implementing a solution involving VLANs. VLANs are not inherently insecure, but misconfiguration can leave a network vulnerable. There have also been past security problems in switch vendor implementations of VLANs.

Segregating Trust Zones

Because of the possibility of misconfiguration, networks of considerably different trust levels should be on separate physical switches. For example, while the same switch could technically be used with VLANs for all internal networks as well as the network outside the firewalls, that should be avoided as a simple misconfiguration of the switch could lead to unfiltered Internet traffic entering the internal network. At a minimum, use two switches in such scenarios: One for outside the firewall and one inside the firewall. In many environments, DMZ segments are also treated separately, on a third switch in addition to the WAN and LAN switches. In others, the WAN side is on its own switch, while all the networks behind the firewall are on the same switches using VLANs. Which scenario is most appropriate for a given network depends on its specific circumstances, level of risk, and security concerns.

Using the default VLAN 1

Because VLAN 1 is the default (“native”) VLAN, it may be used in unexpected ways by the switch. It is similar to using a default-allow policy on firewall rules instead of default deny and selecting what is needed. Using a different VLAN is always better, and ensure that only the ports are selected that must be on that VLAN, to better limit access. Switches will send internal protocols such as STP (Spanning Tree Protocol), VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol), and CDP (Cisco Discover Protocol) untagged over the native VLAN, where the switches use these protocols. It is generally the best practice to keep that internal traffic isolated from data traffic.

If VLAN 1 must be used, take great care to assign every single port on every switch to a different VLAN except those that must be in VLAN 1, and do not create a management interface for the switch on VLAN 1. The native VLAN of the switch group should also be changed to a different, unused, VLAN. Some switches may not support any of these workarounds, and so it is typically easier to move data to a different VLAN instead of fussing with making VLAN 1 available. With VLAN ID 2 through 4094 to choose from, it is undoubtedly better to ignore VLAN 1 when designing a new VLAN scheme.

Using a trunk port default VLAN

When VLAN tagged traffic is sent over a trunk on the native VLAN, tags in the packets that match the native VLAN may be stripped by the switch to preserve compatibility with older networks. Worse yet, packets that are double tagged with the native VLAN and a different VLAN will only have the native VLAN tag removed when trunking in this way and when processed later, that traffic can end up on a different VLAN. This is also called “VLAN hopping”.

As mentioned in the previous section, any untagged traffic on a trunk port will be assumed to be the native VLAN, which could also overlap with an assigned VLAN interface. Depending on how the switch handles such traffic and how it is seen by pfSense® software, using the interface directly could lead to two interfaces being on the same VLAN.

Limiting access to trunk ports

Because a trunk port can talk to any VLAN in a group of trunked switches, possibly even ones not present on the current switch depending on the switch configurations, it is important to physically secure trunk ports. Also make sure there are no ports configured for trunking that are left unplugged and enabled where someone could hook into one, accidentally or otherwise. Depending on the switch, it may support dynamic negotiation of trunking. Ensure this functionality is disabled or properly restricted.

Other Issues with Switches

Over the years there have been reports of rare cases where VLAN-based switches have leaked traffic across VLANs while under heavy loads, or if a MAC address of a PC on one VLAN is seen on another VLAN. These issues tend to be in older switches with outdated firmware, or extremely low-quality managed switches. These types of issues were largely resolved many years ago, when such security problems were common. No matter what switch from what brand is used for a network, research to see if it has undergone any kind of security testing, and ensure the latest firmware is loaded on the switch. While these issues are a problem with the switch, and not pfSense, they are part of a network’s overall security.

Many of the items here are specific to particular makes and models of switches. Security considerations differ based on the switch being used on a network. Refer to its documentation for recommendations on VLAN security.