WhatsApp Issue with Web Protection

M.Hegazy,

create a web exception with this urls:

^([A-Za-z0-9.-]*\.)?whatsapp\.com
^([A-Za-z0-9.-]*\.)?whatsapp\.net
^([A-Za-z0-9.-]*\.)?50\.22\.19[2-9]\.
^([A-Za-z0-9.-]*\.)?50\.22\.2[0-5][0-5]\.

^([A-Za-z0-9.-]*\.)?whatsapp\.net\.?/

Here the image. In my case works. I use decrypt and scan on my XG.

Regards

Hi

i solved whatsapp application issue yesterday

i dont use "Any" as service

the problem solved when i added whatsapp application ports and both of them were working till this morning

but couple hours ago the QR code came to the surface again

any idea why this strange behavior from the firewall??

so I am not really making progress, thinking about opening a support case...

If have tried everything I could imaginge but still could not make any progress. error still occurs as soon as I activate web protection.

funnywhise those devices have a different error as soon as I deactivate the web policy, but that seems to be a different story.

I really dont have a this complicated setup, i am really getting frustrated with that xg.  and obviously some of the solutions are working for some of us, but not for others... really confusing and log files do not help at all.

anyone else making progress with that whatsapp piece of sh*t???

It is the WhatsApp application doing HTTP requests to a WhatsApp server.  It may not be following normal HTTP standards.

Can you try something:

Go into the console (not ssh shell).  So in the menu choose (4 Device Console).

show http
set http add_via_header off
set http relay_invalid_http_traffic on

Try again.  If it is still broken, please revert the changes.

Next thing would be to see if the problem is with other ports.  Are the ports listed here allowed through the firewall?

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-port-number-for-whatsapp

Michael, thank you in advance! Will try that step by step.

How ist the console setting to be assessed in terms of security? I mean, filtering out invalid http traffic, if you dont, is this weaking security somehow?

Thanks a lot Michael

Getting back once I have testet both suggestions and found something new. Great forum support, thank you!

It can potentially decrease security because that traffic cannot be scanned.  Basically traffic that is using port 80/443 must conform to the HTTP standard for us to be able to scan the traffic.  This setting is basically if there is non-HTTP traffic or malformed traffic does it get blocked or allowed.

An example is a type of media streaming called icycast, not commonly used these days.

The HTTP standard is the client sends GET http://somesite and the server responds with 200 OK.

With an icycast, the client sends GET http://somesite and the server responds with 200 ICY.

That response does not conform to the HTTP standard and is therefore not allowed.  Turning this global option on would allow it.

so just to be sure, in order to undo the changes i have to:

show http
set http add_via_header on
set http relay_invalid_http_traffic off

correct?

Correct, that will set them back to their defaults.  Though it might now have been clear, when I wrote the original 

show http

that was so you could see and remember the currently set options before fiddling so you could return them back.

set http add_via_header off
set http relay_invalid_http_traffic on

it did not work, unfortunately, this morning i had the same circumstances.

dumb question: if i allow services "all" in firewall rules, do I have to open specific ports additionally somewhere? just to ensure that I am doing it correctly...

Service All basically means every port.  Effectively allowing Service All means the firewall starts allowing everything and no longer protects as a firewall should.

Useful for debugging, horrible for security.  Its like getting a really expensive deadbolt for your front door and then leaving your door wide open.  :)

Thank you, then I'd been right. For testing purposes I moved all WiFi Clients into a separate VLAN with its own Firewall rule on that VLAN.  Therefore I allowed all services so unfortunately this does not seem to be my solution either.

Michael, do you think this could be related to my VLAN Setup? According to my logs I also had some default Drops (rule ID 0) with "Could not assocate packet to any connection"

Thank you for everthing so far.

Additionaly: I am testing with our Aruba Access Points at the moment, using a SSID that does not support Roaming accross other APs. Maybe something happens to the session during roaming and Sophos stumbles upon that. Just to exclude the Aruba I'll give that a try. Keep you updated.

My recommendation from Sept 1 still stands.

1) You have done a bunch of work to diagnose.  It is very hard for people in the forums to diagnose.  It is easier for Sophos Support to since you can give them direct access to your system.  Raise a ticket and pester them.

2) Use firewall rules to bypass the proxy just for these connections.  Create FQDN Host objects for all of the whatapp domains and then put in a high level rule the has them as the destination, service any.  Traffic that is not for WhatsApp still uses your regular firewall rule with web proxy.

My recommendation from Sept 1 still stands.

1) You have done a bunch of work to diagnose.  It is very hard for people in the forums to diagnose.  It is easier for Sophos Support to since you can give them direct access to your system.  Raise a ticket and pester them.

2) Use firewall rules to bypass the proxy just for these connections.  Create FQDN Host objects for all of the whatapp domains and then put in a high level rule the has them as the destination, service any.  Traffic that is not for WhatsApp still uses your regular firewall rule with web proxy.

I finally, after months, solved the issue:

Go to Web Protection -> Generall Settings -> HTTPS decryption and scanning and then UNCHECK "Block unrecognized SSL protocols"

Somewhere I read about Whatsapp using invalid SSL. Thats the point here. Wished my firewall had more clear logfiles. Impossible to work with the logfile to solve this. Thats the sad point. The lucky point is, it is working :) :) :) Finally! ;)

Works with pharming protection on, btw. And I dont need any exceptions. You can leave "Block invalid certificates" checked.

One year later and the beginning of this week whats-app stopped working over our XG , and this was the only thing I found that fixed it.  Thank you.