GRE + IPsec on Debian based distros

• Install racoon from ipsec-tools.
• Define an IPsec security policy in /etc/ipsec-tools.conf
• Load the IPsec security policy into the IPsec security policy database.
• Configure the racoon daemon.
• Configure a GRE tunnel.

Used resources in this example:

• tunnel endpoints: 1.2.3.4 and 5.6.7.8
• internal IPv4 addresses: 10.0.0.1 and 10.0.0.2

Define an IPsec security policy

Example policy on 1.2.3.4:

#!/usr/sbin/setkey -f
spdadd 1.2.3.4 5.6.7.8 gre -P out ipsec esp/transport//require;
spdadd 5.6.7.8 1.2.3.4 gre -P in  ipsec esp/transport//require;

Change the direction on 5.6.7.8.

Load the IPsec security policy into the IPsec security policy database

Load the policy with the setkey command.

setkey -f /etc/ipsec-tools.conf

Afterward check the policy database with:

setkey -DP

Configure the racoon daemon

An example /etc/racoon/racoon.conf.

path pre_shared_key "/etc/racoon/psk.txt";
path certificate    "/etc/racoon/certs";
log info;

listen {
  # replace with local tunnel endpoint
  isakmp      1.2.3.4 [500];
  isakmp_natt 1.2.3.4 [4500];
}

# replace with remote tunnel endpoint
remote 5.6.7.8 [500] {
  exchange_mode    main;
  proposal_check   strict;
  my_identifier    asn1dn;
  peers_identifier asn1dn;
  lifetime         time 1 hour;
  certificate_type x509 "local.crt" "local.key";
  peers_certfile   x509 "remote.crt";
  ca_type          x509 "ca.crt";
  verify_cert      on;
  send_cert        off;
  send_cr          off;
  
  proposal {
    encryption_algorithm  aes 256;
    hash_algorithm        sha256;
    authentication_method rsasig;
    dh_group              modp4096;
  }
}

# local tunnel endpoint, GRE ip protocol number, remote tunnel endpoint, GRE ip protocol number
sainfo address 1.2.3.4 47 address 5.6.7.8 47 {
  pfs_group                modp4096;
  lifetime                 time 1 hour;
  encryption_algorithm     aes 256;
  authentication_algorithm hmac_sha1;
  compression_algorithm    deflate;
}

Configure a GRE tunnel

Add this to /etc/network/interfaces:

auto gre1
iface gre1 inet tunnel
  mode gre
  netmask 255.255.255.255
  address 10.0.0.1
  dstaddr 10.0.0.2
  endpoint 5.6.7.8
  local 1.2.3.4
  ttl 255