Copyright 2024 UniSR, Gabriel Baud-Bovy <[email protected]>

Matlab API for Cisco AnyConnect VPN

This repository contains batch files and matlabs script manage Cisco AnnyConnect VPN from matlab. The software is distributed with MIT license and copyrigth notice. The original version was developped at San Raffaele University for the telecyclette project funded by the Velux foundation.

The functions have been tested on Windows 10 and Windows 11 with Cisco AnyConnect client version 4.9 and should be compatible with any matlab version.

Installation

In order to use these functions, it is necessary to

1. Download and install Cisco AnyConnect client. This should install Cisco Any client in Windows 'PROGRAMFILES(x86)' directory.
2. Create a file with the credentials (see vpn_login.txt as template). This should be a text file with three lines:

     connect <hostname>
     <username>
     <password> 

This file should be saved in MATLAB workding directory or in the directory of the "vpn_connect.m" script.

Then you can start to use the matlab functions to manage the VPN connection.

If you don't know or have a hostname defined, connect to VPN server using the interactive Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client App (vpnui.exe). Enter address of VPN Server (Host). This will create a hostname for the file with credentials.

Matlab functions

• vpn_connect: connect to VPN
• vpn_disconnect: disconnect from VPN
• vpn_test: test VPN connection
• vpn_gui: small matlab UI to connect, disconnect and test the VPN connection

Examples

vpn_credentials = 'vpn_login.txt'; % file with credentials
test_ip = 'XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX';       % IP of some server in the VPN

% kill VPN GUI  client (if it is started) because it prevents VPN CLI to run  
system('taskkill /f /im vpnui.exe');

% connect to VPN
[status, result] = vpn_connect(vpn_credentials, test_ip)

% test VPN
[status, result] = vpn_test(test_ip)

% disconnect from VPN
[status, result] = vpn_disconnect()

% connect, test and disconnet via GUI
vpngui(vpn_credentials, test_ip);

Notes

• The matlab functions assume that Cisco AnyConnect client is installed in Windows in 'PROGRAMFILES(x86)\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client' directory
• Make sure that VPN GUI client is not running when using vpn_connect and that the credentials are valid. The function vpn_connect will be "stuck" if there is a connection problem because the VPN client vpncli.exe does not return.