topic Re: Service Processor Card Security - TLS in ONTAP Discussions

Service Processor Card Security - TLS

diarmuidn — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 14:20:42 GMT

Hi,

We would like to improve security on our SP Cards (Service Processor) by disabling TLS 1.0 and 1.1 and removing 3DES cipher. All Storage devices are on ONTAP9.1P1. Our current scenarion when running SSL checkers against the card IPs shows the following output.

testsslserver <SP Card IP Address> 50000
Supported versions:
TLSv1.0 TLSv1.1 TLSv1.2
Deflate compression: no
Supported cipher suites (ORDER IS NOT SIGNIFICANT):
TLSv1.0
     RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA
     RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA
     RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
     RSA_WITH_CAMELLIA_128_CBC_SHA
     RSA_WITH_CAMELLIA_256_CBC_SHA
(TLSv1.1: idem)
TLSv1.2
     RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA
     RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA
     RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
     RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256
     RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA256
     RSA_WITH_CAMELLIA_128_CBC_SHA
     RSA_WITH_CAMELLIA_256_CBC_SHA
     TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
     TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384
----------------------
Server certificate(s):
e50304b62d8f97bff54a6a3dbac0eaf1cbdcf6b7: E="", OU="", O="", L="", S="", C="", CN=sp.spcs.server
----------------------
Minimal encryption strength:     strong encryption (96-bit or more)
Achievable encryption strength: strong encryption (96-bit or more)
BEAST status: vulnerable
CRIME status: protected

The NETAPP device itself has only TLS1.2 only enabled and has resticted ciphers allowed

ie.

<Cluster name>::*> security config show
          Cluster                                              Cluster Security
Interface FIPS Mode Supported Protocols     Supported Ciphers Config Ready
--------- ---------- ----------------------- ----------------- ----------------
SSL       false              TLSv1.2                 AES:!LOW:!MEDIUM: yes
                                                                 !aNULL:!EXP:
                                                                  !eNULL:!3DES

We have asked NETAPP support for assistance with this. There recommendations have centered around altering the storage device Security Config by enabling FIPS. I am not convinced that this will make any difference whatsoever to the SP card security profile and even it is does it will require Node Reboots to complete the alteration. All of our netapp devices host CIFS shares so unfortunately as a consequence Node reboots will involve some service disruption.

Has anyone else encountered this before and does anyone have any recommendations or knowledge relevant to SP Card security? I am surprised by the lack of available information

thank you,

Re: Service Processor Card Security - TLS

AlexDawson — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 02:33:45 GMT

I found the case you submitted and read through the notes and checked our developer documentation and can confirm - FIPS mode is the only way to modify ciphers on the SP. TLS is only used internally for redirecting node console to the SP, and other cipher types will be removed in a future version of SP firmware.

The SP is designed to be as simple as possible - it operates in a number of very finite states and has a very limited command set. There is an existing request for enhancement to enable changing ciphers without enabling FIPS mode that your request has been added to.

Re: Service Processor Card Security - TLS

dmcneil — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 13:30:44 GMT

I am curious if this feature has been implemented. We just upgraded to ver 9.3P4 and we are getting dinged by our security department because the SPs are not TLS 1.2

Re: Service Processor Card Security - TLS

diarmuidn — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 07:53:08 GMT

The current status is that there is no Ontap or SP firmware release avilable that will result in the SP card using TLS.1.2 only. The best you can achieve is TLS1.1 & 1.2. We asked NETAPP recently if a fix was pending and we are anticipating a reply shortly. I will post on here once I have an update.

Re: Service Processor Card Security - TLS

ThirtySeven — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 08:27:24 GMT

Hi, can anyone explain how to get rid of TLS1.0 in SP (which version of SP?) ? The answer before was: "The best you can achieve is TLS1.1 & 1.2" But unfortunately no details how to do it ... Many thanks in advance !

Re: Service Processor Card Security - TLS

AlexDawson — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 02:31:51 GMT

Hi @ThirtySeven,

This is detailed in this document, but basically

c94::> set -priv adv

Warning: These advanced commands are potentially dangerous; use them only when directed to do so by NetApp personnel.
Do you want to continue? {y|n}: y

c94::*> security config 
    modify ocsp   show   status 

c94::*> security config modify -interface SSL -is-fips-enabled true

Re: Service Processor Card Security - TLS

JBurelbach — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 20:33:50 GMT

Does this apply to the service processor or just ontap? We're running firmware v3.3 on an 8040 and getting the same thing from our IRT.

Re: Service Processor Card Security - TLS

AlexDawson — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 23:30:49 GMT

Both ONTAP and the SP