Configure IPv6 Sinkhole for Prisma Agent
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Prisma Agent

Configure IPv6 Sinkhole for Prisma Agent

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Configure IPv6 Sinkhole for Prisma Agent

Learn how to configure the IPv6 sinkhole feature for Prisma Agent to enhance security by tunneling and blocking IPv6 traffic.
Where Can I Use This?What Do I Need?
  • Prisma Access (Managed by Strata Cloud Manager)
  • Check the prerequisites for the deployment you're using
  • Minimum required Prisma Agent version: 25.3.0.43
  • Supported operating systems: macOS and Windows
  • Contact your Palo Alto Networks account representative to activate the Prisma Agent feature
In a dual-stack endpoint that can process both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic, the Prisma Agent sends mobile user IPv4 traffic through the tunnel to Prisma Access for protection. To reduce the attack surface for IPv6-based threats, you can configure Prisma Agent to sinkhole IPv6 traffic. Because endpoints can automatically fall back to an IPv4 address, sinkholing IPv6 traffic enables a secure and uninterrupted user experience for mobile user traffic to the internet.
You can configure Prisma Agent so that it sinkholes all mobile user IPv6 traffic by tunneling and blocking IPv6 traffic. When you enable this functionality, Prisma Agent assigns an IPv6 address to the connecting endpoint in addition to an IPv4 address; then, it routes the IPv6 traffic to Prisma Access and discards it using a built-in security policy.
While certain edge cases like IPv6 localhost, LAN, link-local, and DHCPv6 are not routed to the gateway, the IPv6 sinkhole feature significantly enhances your ability to manage and secure IPv6 traffic within your Prisma Access environment.
Prisma Agent for Linux does not use gateway-side IPv6 sinkholing. Instead, the agent selectively blocks tunnel-routed IPv6 traffic on the endpoint to trigger IPv4 fallback in modern applications. See IPv6 Traffic Handling for Prisma Agent on Linux for details.
To sinkhole all mobile user IPv6 traffic in Prisma Agent deployments, complete the following steps:
  1. In Strata Cloud Manager, select ConfigurationNGFW and Prisma AccessConfiguration ScopeAccess AgentSetupInfrastructure.
  2. Edit the infrastructure settings.
  3. If you're on a coexistence tenant (with the GlobalProtect™ app), select Filter ByPrisma Access Agent to show only the settings that are related to Prisma Agent.
  4. Select Force IPv6 Sinkhole.
    Default: Deselected
    Prisma Access uses fc00:0:0:0:0:0:0:0/64 as the sinkhole address.
  5. Save your infrastructure settings and push the configuration.
  6. Verify that IPv6 traffic has been sinkholed by running the following PACli command on an endpoint:
    pacli tunnel
    For example, on the Windows agent, the output will look similar to the following: