How can I connect to a forticlient ssl-vpn via Terminal?

Question

I need to connect my machine to a forticlient getaway but I don't know how to do it via terminal I don't mean the command to open the GUI, but the commands tho connect and disconnect assuming that I already have my vpn connection profiles configurated if it's there any command like:

fortissl connectionname on

or something like this:

fortissl (serverIP) (username) (password) (port) (example)

That should be nice as well I'm using ubuntu 18.10 and the foti app is Forticlient SSL-VPN

Basically I don't want to open the GUI anymore, just connect to the server via Terminal, then I'll be trying some bash things with that.

Solution 1

First download the Fortigate SSLVPN CLI

wget http://cdn.software-mirrors.com/forticlientsslvpn_linux_4.4.2328.tar.gz

If you have a direct secure source please share.

You need to uncompress the downloaded file:

tar -xzvf forticlientsslvpn_linux_4.4.2328.tar.gz

Install ppp (in case you don't have it):

sudo apt-get install ppp

Go to the installer setup dir:

cd ./forticlientsslvpn/64bit/helper

and run the setup file:

sudo ./setup.linux.sh 

go to the following dir

cd  forticlientsslvpn/64bit/

Finally you can connect whenever you want using this command:

./forticlientsslvpn_cli --server serveraddress:port --vpnuser username

For further information in forticlient CLI: https://kb.fortinet.com/kb/documentLink.do?externalID=FD41256

Solution 2

Please try openfortivpn:

sudo apt install openfortivpn

We may setup default connection by editing this file:

sudo nano /etc/openfortivpn/config

After setting up, just run the command:

sudo openfortivpn

If the connection was not in the list of trusted certification, the command will return an error message and we can just follow the message to add the server as trusted and re-run the command.

Comments

[GypsyCosmonaut]

This worked for me serverfault.com/a/922767/367222

[Nmath]

Is there a download landing page that you might link to instead of (or in addition to) the direct link to a tar.gz? People should be able to review the source, since this is not an official source of software and inherently carries extra risk.

[Entaah Laah]

@Nmath No, I found that link from the source above, and it is working for me on Ubuntu 20.04 64bit server. You can google for forticlientsslvpn_linux to search for official site from fortinet, but you need support contract to download it, CMIIW

[Nmath]

How are we supposed to ascertain that this software is safe to use? It's bad practice to install software from an untrusted source. Sure it works for you, but what else is the software doing that you don't know about? It's VPN software? Even more shady, and riskier. What if it's just a honey pot? I'm sorry but I have to add warning to an answer that might serve malicious software.

[Entaah Laah]

@Nmath that's okay. I just share my experience. I do really hope someone can add the official download site for this software.

[Nmath]

Why don't you start at forticlient.com? It's still proprietary, risky software, but at least it's not an unofficial mirror...

[Entaah Laah]

@Nmath I've mention it above, the software is at fortinet support site, and you need a support contract to be able to download it. In my case, the support contract account only for the network admins not for the user like me.

[Nmath]

All of this sounds exceptionally shady to me and I'm not sure why anyone would use this software when the OpenVPN protocol is open source, auditable, accountable, and ubiquitous.

[Entaah Laah]

@Nmath then use openVPN to connect to your office Fortigate and share it with us. There are many tutorials about connecting to Fortigate SSLVPN, this one work for me. Don't use the software you don't trust, and find the software you trust. I appreciate you've warned the others, just take this as a note and please come back if you already have a trusted solutions.

[pspahn]

This comment thread is a great example of why I simply do not like Fortiguard/net/client/whatever products. Our Microsoft shop support contract forces these products on us and it's always a ridiculous process to figure out how to do something that should be easy. When a company hides their software behind paywalls, users are motivated to find other sources, and when you're talking about a VPN client, that's not the type of software you want to trust from unknown sources, but Fortinet's business model practically encourages it.

[Wojtek Turowicz]

This is the way