vpnc fails with "get_secrets: assertion `secrets_idx < SECRETS_REQ_LAST' failed"

[Dima Ryazanov]

I'm using a Cisco VPN connection. Everything used to just work. Today, after I installed Ubuntu updates, it hangs while trying to connect, with no error messages.

I also noticed that before, it only asked me for password when connecting. Now it's also asking for a "group password" - even though I set it to "saved" in the configuration.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: network-manager 0.9.4.0-0ubuntu4.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-27.43+kamal5~DellXPS-generic 3.2.21
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-27-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu11
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Jul 18 16:48:38 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
IfupdownConfig:
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
IpRoute:
 default via 192.168.43.1 dev wlan0 proto static
 169.254.0.0/16 dev wlan0 scope link metric 1000
 192.168.43.0/24 dev wlan0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.43.196 metric 2
 192.168.72.0/24 dev vmnet8 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.72.1
 192.168.128.0/24 dev vmnet1 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.128.1
NetworkManager.state:
 [main]
 NetworkingEnabled=true
 WirelessEnabled=true
 WWANEnabled=true
 WimaxEnabled=true
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: network-manager
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
nmcli-dev:
 DEVICE TYPE STATE DBUS-PATH
 wlan0 802-11-wireless connected /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/0
nmcli-nm:
 RUNNING VERSION STATE NET-ENABLED WIFI-HARDWARE WIFI WWAN-HARDWARE WWAN
 running 0.9.4.0 connected enabled enabled enabled enabled disabled

[Dima Ryazanov (dima-gmail)]

Notice the error in the syslog:

Jul 18 16:46:52 dima-xps NetworkManager[877]: <info> Starting VPN service 'vpnc'...
Jul 18 16:46:52 dima-xps NetworkManager[877]: <info> VPN service 'vpnc' started (org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.vpnc), PID 2629
Jul 18 16:46:52 dima-xps NetworkManager[877]: <info> VPN service 'vpnc' appeared; activating connections
Jul 18 16:46:52 dima-xps NetworkManager[877]: <info> VPN plugin state changed: init (1)
Jul 18 16:46:57 dima-xps NetworkManager[877]: get_secrets: assertion `secrets_idx < SECRETS_REQ_LAST' failed

It didn't use to happen before. Here's an older log:

Jul 17 19:30:48 dima-xps NetworkManager[906]: <info> Starting VPN service 'vpnc'...
Jul 17 19:30:48 dima-xps NetworkManager[906]: <info> VPN service 'vpnc' started (org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.vpnc), PID 9821
Jul 17 19:30:48 dima-xps NetworkManager[906]: <info> VPN service 'vpnc' appeared; activating connections
Jul 17 19:30:51 dima-xps NetworkManager[906]: <info> VPN plugin state changed: starting (3)
Jul 17 19:30:51 dima-xps NetworkManager[906]: <info> VPN connection 'Dropbox' (Connect) reply received.
Jul 17 19:30:52 dima-xps NetworkManager[906]: SCPlugin-Ifupdown: devices added (path: /sys/devices/virtual/net/tun0, iface: tun0)
Jul 17 19:30:52 dima-xps NetworkManager[906]: SCPlugin-Ifupdown: device added (path: /sys/devices/virtual/net/tun0, iface: tun0): no ifupdown configuration found.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Terry Jones (terry-taralga)]

Just installed network-manager-openvpn (0.9.4.0-0ubuntu1) into a new 12.04 installation and am having the same problem. VPN fails to connect with message "get_secrets: assertion `secrets_idx < SECRETS_REQ_LAST failed".

[Terry Jones (terry-taralga)]

I have re-verified that this bug is not present with the same client configuration and same openvpn server in the 10.04 release using the latest network-manager from lucid packages (0.8-0ubuntu3.3).

[Dima Ryazanov (dima-gmail)]

How can I install an older (working) version of network-manager and vpnc? I was relying on VPN before, and I can't just stop using it...

[Dima Ryazanov (dima-gmail)]

Ok, I think I figured out what happened...

I had the group password saved in the VPN settings. Looks like it got dropped after the update, and I just assumed it was supposed to be empty. When I entered the correct group password, VPN started working again.

This is still a bug - but I think the solution is to display an error message if the group password is missing (or vpnc returns an error or whatever).

[Terry Jones (terry-taralga)]

The behaviour I am seeing with the OpenVPN plugin is a little different, but still gives the same result.

The private key password does not seem to be displayed in the VPN edit window. I had assumed that this was a security feature, but perhaps it is not being saved? Anyway despite attempting to save the password several times it does not show up in the window when the VPN is reopened for editing I don't get asked for the password when trying to connect and I still get the same error "get_secrets: assertion `secrets_idx < SECRETS_REQ_LAST failed" when trying to connect.

Personaly I preferred the behaviour in version 10.04 where the private key password could be stored in the keyring. I don't know why this was changed.

[Matthew Gregg (mcg)]

This bug looks very similar to one I reported, #1043043. Was this resolved or not? I have confirmed that my group password is indeed saved, but NM continues to prompt for it.

[Terry Jones (terry-taralga)]

As far as I can determine this is still unresolved.

I can connect to my vpn using a suitably configured script file from the command line, but am still unable to do it via the network manager applet.