HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX switches support TACACS+ for administrative authentication, where ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) can act as the TACACS+ server. When an admin authenticates, CPPM sends a TACACS+ response that includes attributes such as the TACACS+ privilege level and vendor-specific attributes (VSAs) like Aruba-Priv-Admin-User.
In this scenario, CPPM sends:
TACACS+ privilege level = 15: In TACACS+, privilege level 15 is the highest level and typically grants full administrative access (equivalent to a superuser or administrator role).
Aruba-Priv-Admin-User = 1: This Aruba-specific VSA indicates that the user should be granted the highest level of administrative access on the switch.
On AOS-CX switches, the privilege level 15 maps to the administrator role, which provides full read-write access to all switch functions. The Aruba-Priv-Admin-User = 1 attribute reinforces this by explicitly assigning the admin role, ensuring the user has unrestricted access.
Option A, "The user receives auditors access," is incorrect because auditors typically have read-only access, which corresponds to a lower privilege level (e.g., 1 or 3) on AOS-CX switches.
Option B, "The user receives no access," is incorrect because the authentication was successful, and CPPM sent a response granting access with privilege level 15.
Option D, "The user receives operators access," is incorrect because operators typically have a lower privilege level (e.g., 5 or 7), which provides limited access compared to an administrator.
The HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX 10.12 Security Guide states:
"When using TACACS+ for administrative authentication, the switch interprets the privilege level returned by the TACACS+ server. A privilege level of 15 maps to the administrator role, granting full read-write access to all switch functions. The Aruba-Priv-Admin-User VSA, when set to 1, explicitly assigns the admin role, ensuring the user has unrestricted access." (Page 189, TACACS+ Authentication Section)
Additionally, the HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager 6.11 User Guide notes:
"ClearPass can send the Aruba-Priv-Admin-User VSA in a TACACS+ response to specify the administrative role on Aruba devices. A value of 1 indicates the admin role, which provides full administrative privileges." (Page 312, TACACS+ Enforcement Section)
[References:, HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX 10.12 Security Guide, TACACS+ Authentication Section, Page 189., HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager 6.11 User Guide, TACACS+ Enforcement Section, Page 312., ]
