Knowledgebase: Securing VPN & DNS
How to prevent an IP leak with Comodo Firewall
Posted by Max Biggavelli on 10 December 2013 08:37

As in our other KB article for Windows firewall, we describe again the black-whitelisting method but this time for Comodo firewall. Again, we go take the most "paranoid" and safest approach and disallow ALL Traffic, except the one specifically going through OpenVPN!



1. Download & install comodo firewall, it is for free and a decent desktop firewall: here

2. After install, we start it directly and set the firewall mode to "Custom Ruleset" and click on "Tasks"

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw1.jpg

 

3. Under Firewall Tasks click on Open Advanced Settings

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw2.jpg

 

4. Go to Security Settings > Firewall > Network Zones and click on Add then choose New Network Zone and in the opening Window type "nVPN" and click OK.

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw3.jpg

 

5. Now after this new zone is created, we select the nVPN zone and right click to open menu, Add -> New Address

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw4.jpg

 

 6. In opening window choose IPv4 Address Range and type in as shown and click OK:

Start IP: 10.000.000.000
End IP: 10.255.255.255

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw5.jpg

 

7. Next state is as follows

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw6.jpg

 

8. We click on Global Rules now which is the part responsible to block ALL Traffic and only allow Whitelisted definitions. Screenshot shows how it looks after a fresh Comodo install, inside there slide up the panel and click on Add.

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw7.jpg

 

9. For the "Block ALL" rule, we disallow all Traffic, like shown: Source -> Mac Address, Destionation -> Mac Address, IP details: Any

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw8.jpg

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw9.jpg

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw10.jpg

Once you have identical settings, click OK.

 

10. Should look as below now.

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw11.jpg

 

11. We add two other rules now, which will be the "Whitelist" rules, so those are rules which define what we want to explicitly allow. Open the small panel, click on Add follow the screenshos and hit OK when finished.

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw12.jpg

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw13.jpg

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw14.jpg


12. Now the second rule nVPN Allow #2

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw24.jpg

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw25.jpg

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw26.jpg

 

12. Current state should look as follows now, incase not then open the panel and move the rules up/down into an identical order. Important: Firewalls work in a hirarchical structure, so from TOP to BOTTOM manner, therefore (in our whitelist to blacklist scenario) rules to allow, must always be added BEFORE (higher) than the Block ALL rule!!

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw27.jpg

This tree shows the concept, we allow first with nVPN Allow1+2 rules and everything else after is disallowed by the Block ALL rule.

 

13. We proceed and add 2 more rules for the already existing zone named Loopback (IP range: 127.0.0.1 - 127.255.255.254) screenshots wont be needed anymore, by now you should understand how it works. Click Add and choose:


First rule - Loopback #1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action: Allow
Protocol: IP
Direction: In/Out
Description: Loopback #1

Source Address: Network Zone -> Loopback Zone
Destionation Address:  Mac Address -> °°-°°-°°-°°-°°-°°-°°
IP Details: Protocol -> Any
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


First rule - Loopback #2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action: Allow
Protocol: IP
Direction: In/Out
Description: Loopback #2

Source Address: Mac Address -> °°-°°-°°-°°-°°-°°-°°
Destionation Address:  Network Zone -> Loopback Zone
IP Details: Protocol -> Any
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

14. Make sure current state is exactly as below, incase not move the rules up/down accordingly to receive an identical structure.

https://nvpn.net/images/com_fw28.jpg

 

15. Finally click on OK now to activate the rules! Additionally, go ahead and verify that the Firewall is actually activated AND set to "Custom Ruleset".

Lets test all this work, start your desired browser and you should notice no websites are loading, everything is dead (atleast if you are NOT connect to the VPN yet).

Proceed and Connect with OpenVPN now and once the VPN connection is established, browse again to a website and you must see some life, which means our whitelisting rules from step 11-12 come to affect!

When being on the VPN you can simulate a disconnect scenario, simply disconnect from OpenVPN and check traffic flow, everything will be cut off again immediately, exactly how it should be. 

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