Can't connect to PPTP VPN with ufw enabled on Ubuntu 14.04 with kernel 3.18

kernel networking firewall vpn network-manager

Suddenly VPN disconnected and can't reconnect no longer on kernel 3.18.1, so I try to install kernel 3.18.2 but my problem still exist. But I can connect to VPN with 3.14 kernel easily.

The output of syslog:

Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <info> Starting VPN service 'pptp'...
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <info> VPN service 'pptp' started (org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.pptp), PID 8741
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <info> VPN service 'pptp' appeared; activating connections
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <info> VPN plugin state changed: starting (3)
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <info> VPN connection 'VPN connection 1' (Connect) reply received.
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON pppd[8742]: Plugin /usr/lib/pppd/2.4.5/nm-pptp-pppd-plugin.so loaded.
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON pppd[8742]: pppd 2.4.5 started by root, uid 0
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON pppd[8742]: Using interface ppp0
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON pppd[8742]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/pts/25
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON pptp[8747]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[main:pptp.c:314]: The synchronous pptp option is NOT activated
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: devices added (path: /sys/devices/virtual/net/ppp0, iface: ppp0)
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: device added (path: /sys/devices/virtual/net/ppp0, iface: ppp0): no ifupdown configuration found.
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <warn> /sys/devices/virtual/net/ppp0: couldn't determine device driver; ignoring...
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON pptp[8761]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[ctrlp_rep:pptp_ctrl.c:251]: Sent control packet type is 1 'Start-Control-Connection-Request'
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON pptp[8761]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:739]: Received Start Control Connection Reply
Jan 11 17:43:51 DEMON pptp[8761]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:773]: Client connection established.
Jan 11 17:43:52 DEMON pptp[8761]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[ctrlp_rep:pptp_ctrl.c:251]: Sent control packet type is 7 'Outgoing-Call-Request'
Jan 11 17:43:52 DEMON pptp[8761]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:858]: Received Outgoing Call Reply.
Jan 11 17:43:52 DEMON pptp[8761]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:897]: Outgoing call established (call ID 0, peer's call ID 37038).
Jan 11 17:43:53 DEMON vnstatd[1509]: Interface "ppp0" enabled.
Jan 11 17:43:55 DEMON kernel: [  921.480993] [UFW BLOCK] IN=wlan0 OUT= MAC=74:de:2b:02:0b:da:50:1c:bf:61:6f:41:08:00 SRC=192.168.0.1 DST=192.168.74.15 LEN=55 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=63 ID=64925 PROTO=47 
Jan 11 17:43:55 DEMON kernel: [  922.096723] [UFW BLOCK] IN=wlan0 OUT= MAC=74:de:2b:02:0b:da:50:1c:bf:61:6f:41:08:00 SRC=192.168.0.1 DST=192.168.74.15 LEN=54 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=63 ID=64926 PROTO=47 
Jan 11 17:43:57 DEMON kernel: [  923.911774] [UFW BLOCK] IN=wlan0 OUT= MAC=74:de:2b:02:0b:da:50:1c:bf:61:6f:41:08:00 SRC=192.168.0.1 DST=192.168.74.15 LEN=55 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=63 ID=64927 PROTO=47 
Jan 11 17:44:16 DEMON kernel: [  943.116984] [UFW BLOCK] IN=wlan0 OUT= MAC=74:de:2b:02:0b:da:50:1c:bf:61:6f:41:08:00 SRC=192.168.0.1 DST=192.168.74.15 LEN=54 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=63 ID=64937 PROTO=47 
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON pppd[8742]: LCP: timeout sending Config-Requests
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON pppd[8742]: Connection terminated.
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <warn> VPN plugin failed: 1
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: devices removed (path: /sys/devices/virtual/net/ppp0, iface: ppp0)
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON pppd[8742]: Modem hangup
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON pptp[8747]: nm-pptp-service-8741 warn[decaps_hdlc:pptp_gre.c:204]: short read (-1): Input/output error
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON pptp[8747]: nm-pptp-service-8741 warn[decaps_hdlc:pptp_gre.c:216]: pppd may have shutdown, see pppd log
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON pptp[8761]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[callmgr_main:pptp_callmgr.c:234]: Closing connection (unhandled)
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON pptp[8761]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[ctrlp_rep:pptp_ctrl.c:251]: Sent control packet type is 12 'Call-Clear-Request'
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON pppd[8742]: Exit.
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <warn> VPN plugin failed: 1
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON pptp[8761]: nm-pptp-service-8741 log[call_callback:pptp_callmgr.c:79]: Closing connection (call state)
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <warn> VPN plugin failed: 1
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <info> VPN plugin state changed: stopped (6)
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <info> VPN plugin state change reason: 0
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <info> Policy set '4r@z31' (wlan0) as default for IPv4 routing and DNS.
Jan 11 17:44:22 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <warn> error disconnecting VPN: Could not process the request because no VPN connection was active.
Jan 11 17:44:23 DEMON vnstatd[1509]: Interface "ppp0" disabled.
Jan 11 17:44:28 DEMON NetworkManager[7443]: <info> VPN service 'pptp' disappeared

UPDATE

My problem solved by disabling ufw, could you please help me to solve this conflict of firewall and vpn?

UPDATE 2

So I try to add 

-A ufw-before-input -p 47 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-output -p 47 -j ACCEPT

into /etc/ufw/before.rules but my problem still exist.


This is caused by a change for security reason in kernel 3.18 [1]. There are two ways to fix this.

First approach is adding this rule to the file /etc/ufw/before.rules before the line # drop INVALID packets ...

-A ufw-before-input -p 47 -j ACCEPT

Second approach is manually loading the nf_conntrack_pptp module. You can do this by running

sudo modprobe nf_conntrack_pptp

To load this module on every boot on Ubuntu, add it to the file /etc/modules.


For ufw >= 0.34-2, a simple solution is:

sudo ufw allow proto gre from [PPTP gateway IP address]

Add nf_conntrack_pptp to /etc/modules-load.d/pptp.conf

One liner

echo nf_conntrack_pptp | sudo tee /etc/modules-load.d/pptp.conf

Explanation

The accepted answer works for me, especially the 2nd suggestion--loading the nf_conntrack_pptp kernel module--as opposed to modifying my iptables firewall. My laptop firewall is otherwise unmodified. sudo ufw enable without exceptions is nice and clean. But I don't like editing /etc/modules by hand... future package upgrades may have conflicts. /etc/modules-load.d/ provides an upgrade-friendly and more easily automatable way to load the module.

See also

Is there a ".d" directory to use to load modules at boot time, opposed to /etc/modules?

Parting shot: Do not use PPTP!

  • https://www.schneier.com/cryptography/pptp/faq.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-to-Point_Tunneling_Protocol
  • http://www.howtogeek.com/211329/which-is-the-best-vpn-protocol-pptp-vs.-openvpn-vs.-l2tpipsec-vs.-sstp/

Try openvpn instead.

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