FCSS_NST_SE-7.6 Questions and Answers

To determine the correct conclusions, we analyze the specific lines in the IKE real-time debug output provided in the exhibit:

Analysis for Option A (The remote peer is the initiating peer):

Evidence: The very first line of the debug output reads: ike 0:624000:98: responder: main mode get 1st message...

The keyword responder indicates that this local FortiGate is receiving the connection request. Consequently, the remote peer must be the initiator sending the request. The phrase " get 1st message " confirms the local unit is receiving the initial packet of the negotiation sequence.

Conclusion: This statement is True.

Analysis for Option B (This is a phase 1 negotiation):

Evidence: The same line mentions main mode.

In IPsec VPNs, Main Mode and Aggressive Mode are exclusively used for Phase 1 (IKE SA) negotiations. Phase 2 (Child SA) negotiations use Quick Mode. The presence of " main mode " definitively identifies this as a Phase 1 exchange.

Conclusion: This statement is True.

Analysis for Option C (There is a Diffie-Hellman group mismatch):

Evidence:

Incoming proposal (Remote): Lists type=OAKLEY_GROUP, val=MODP2048 (Group 14) in the first proposal proposal.

My proposal (Local): Lists type=OAKLEY_GROUP, val=MODP2048 (Group 14).

Since both the remote peer and the local gateway support and are proposing MODP2048 (Group 14), there is no Diffie-Hellman group mismatch. The actual mismatch visible in the logs is between the Encryption/Hash algorithms (Remote proposes AES-256/SHA2-256, while Local proposes AES-128/SHA), but the DH groups match.

Conclusion: This statement is False.

Analysis for Option D (This is a phase 2 negotiation):

As established in the analysis for Option B, " Main Mode " is a Phase 1 protocol. If this were Phase 2, the debug would show " Quick Mode " .

Conclusion: This statement is False.

Parallel Path Processing (PPP) in FortiOS refers to the system’s ability to evaluate and select among multiple processing paths—often involving dedicated network processors, content processors, or CPU-based workflows—to optimally process packets. The official documentation highlights that the PPP engine dynamically selects which hardware or software path to use for each session based on session characteristics, policy configuration, and traffic type. This dynamic selection results in optimal throughput and resource utilization.

The document specifies that PPP assesses several processing paths in parallel, using decision logic to determine whether a session should be offloaded to specialist hardware (like NP6, CP9, etc.) or stay in the CPU path, ensuring that each packet is handled by the most efficient available method under current load and policy. Hardware and software configurations both influence this outcome, but it is the PPP engine ' s decision-making that defines the optimal path per session.

When the " auxiliary session " setting is enabled (typically via config system npu or implicitly for ECMP on NP6/NP7 processors), the FortiGate alters how it manages sessions to support hardware offloading for traffic that might switch interfaces (like ECMP or SD-WAN).

B. FortiGate accelerates all ECMP traffic to the NP6 processor:

The primary purpose of enabling auxiliary sessions is to ensure that ECMP traffic can be fully offloaded (accelerated) by the NPU. Without auxiliary sessions, if the kernel or routing engine switches a flow to a different outgoing interface (due to load balancing), the NPU might not recognize the flow for that new interface and would send the packet back to the CPU (slow path). Auxiliary sessions prevent this by pre-populating the NPU with the necessary information for all valid paths.

D. FortiGate creates two sessions in case of a routing change:

Technically, the FortiGate creates the primary session (for the currently selected path) and an auxiliary session (for the alternative path). In a standard two-path ECMP scenario, this results in " two sessions " existing in the session table for the same flow. This ensures that if a routing change occurs (e.g., the flow shifts to the second path), the traffic continues to be processed by the NPU without interruption or re-evaluation by the CPU.

The correct answer is C. The session is offloaded using NPU .

The exact session example in the study guide shows:

proto=6 → this is a TCP session

expire=3599 → the session will expire in 3599 seconds , not in one second

hook=post dir=org act=snat 10.9.31.117:45388- > 200.8.57.5:443(10.1.0.3:45388)

hook=pre dir=reply act=dnat 200.8.57.5:443- > 10.1.0.3:45388(10.9.31.117:45388)

npu info: ... offload=8/8 ...

and the slide explicitly states: “Offloaded in both directions using NP6”

The study guide also explains this exact point clearly:

“Counters for hardware acceleration—The presence of the npu info field indicates the session has been offloaded to hardware acceleration. In this example, traffic is being offloaded in both directions using network processor (NP) 6, which is represented by the value of 8.”

Why the other options are wrong:

A is wrong because expire=3599, not 1. The duration=1 field means the session has existed for 1 second, not that it will expire in 1 second.

B is wrong because the original session is from 10.9.31.117 to the remote server 200.8.57.5:443. The IP 10.1.0.3 is the SNAT-translated source address , not the final destination.

D is not the best answer for this single-select question . The reply is indeed DNATed back toward the original client, but the exact validated takeaway highlighted by the study guide for this exhibit is the NPU offload state .

The correct answers are C and D .

The study guide states: “SSL certificate inspection relies on extracting the FQDN of the URL from either: TLS extension server name indication (SNI), SSL certificate common name (CN).” It also says: “When using SSL certificate inspection, FortiGate is not decrypting the traffic. It is only inspecting the server digital certificates and the SNI field, which are interchanged before the encryption.”

This proves the second part of the answer:

under SSL certificate inspection , FortiGate does not decrypt the traffic

therefore, if the traffic is allowed , it still passes without decryption

That makes D correct.

For the SNI mismatch behavior, the FortiOS administration guide describes the default Server certificate SNI check behavior as:

“Enable: If it is mismatched use the CN in the server certificate for URL”

So if the SNI does not match the CN or any SAN, FortiGate falls back to using the CN from the Subject field for URL handling under the default setting. That makes C correct.

Why the other options are wrong:

A is wrong because with the default SNI-check behavior, when the SNI mismatches the certificate identity, FortiGate does not continue using the mismatched SNI . Instead, it uses the CN in the server certificate for the URL .

B is not the best answer in this single pair selection . While certificate inspection does not decrypt traffic, the key default behavior the documents explicitly highlight for this mismatch case is:

use the CN when SNI mismatches , and

certificate inspection does not decrypt allowed HTTPS traffic .

So the verified answers are: C, D .

The debug flow message iprope_in_check() check failed, drop specifically indicates a failure in the Local-In Policy check. The " iprope " (IP ROouting Policy Enforcement) engine handles policy lookups. The _in_check suffix confirms that the decision is regarding traffic destined to the FortiGate itself (Local-In traffic), rather than traffic passing through it.

D. The packet was dropped because the requested service is not enabled on FortiGate:

This is the most common cause. When a packet arrives destined for the FortiGate ' s interface IP (e.g., an HTTPS or SSH request), the kernel checks if that specific service is enabled in the interface settings (set allowaccess). If the service is not enabled (e.g., trying to Ping an interface where PING access is disabled), the iprope_in_check function fails and drops the packet immediately.

C. The packet was dropped because the trusted host list is misconfigured:

Even if the service (e.g., HTTPS) is enabled on the interface, the FortiGate checks the Administrator settings. If Trusted Hosts are configured, the source IP of the incoming packet is compared against the allowed list. If the IP is not on the list, the Local-In policy check (iprope_in_check) fails, and the packet is dropped to secure the management plane.

Why other options are incorrect:

A: If traffic is dropped by a standard Firewall Policy (traffic passing through the device from one interface to another), the debug message will typically state denied by policy x or no matching policy. It would generally be a forward check (iprope_fwd_check or similar), not an _in_check.

B: If there is no route to the source, the error is a Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) failure. The debug flow logs this explicitly as reverse path check fail, drop.

The correct answer is D .

The study guide shows the ipsmonitor test usage exactly:

1: Display IPS engine information

2: Toggle IPS engine enable/disable status

5: Toggle bypass status

99: Restart all IPS engines and monitor

So diagnose test application ipsmonitor 5 is used to toggle bypass status , which corresponds to enabling IPS bypass mode .

Why the other options are wrong:

A is wrong because disabling the IPS engine is option 2 , not 5.

B is wrong because the study guide does not define option 5 as IPS session information.

C is wrong because restarting all IPS engines and monitors is option 99 , not 5.

So the verified answer is: D .

The correct answers are A and B .

The Network Security Support Engineer 7.6 Study Guide states under OSPF Troubleshooting :

“Follow these steps to troubleshoot an OSPF problem between two peers:

Check that the local router can reach the remote peer. IP addresses must be in the same subnet and have the same subnet mask.

Ensure that IP protocol 89 is not blocked.

Hello and dead intervals must match.

The OSPF router ID for each peer must be unique. Duplicate router IDs are not allowed.

Do the MTUs match?

If authentication is enabled, the type and password must match on both sides.”**

The same page also summarizes the troubleshooting tips as:

“Do peers have an IP address within the same subnet?”

“Is IP protocol 89 blocked?”

This directly confirms:

A is correct

B is correct

Why the other options are wrong:

C is wrong because TCP port 179 is used by BGP , not OSPF. OSPF uses IP protocol 89 , as the study guide explicitly notes

D is wrong because the study guide’s OSPF adjacency troubleshooting checklist does not require an active static route to the peer. OSPF neighbors form adjacency on directly reachable networks, and the guide instead focuses on same subnet, protocol 89, intervals, router ID, MTU, and authentication matching

So the verified answers are: A, B .

The correct answer is B .

The study guide explicitly states: “IKE version 2 does not interoperate with IKE version 1, but they share enough of the header format that both versions can unambiguously operate over the same UDP port.”

That directly proves B .

Why the other options are wrong:

A is wrong because the study guide shows authentication methods as Asymmetric for IKEv2 and Symmetric for IKEv1

C is wrong because the study guide does not say they use the same TCP port; instead, it specifically says they can operate over the same UDP port

D is wrong because the study guide states: “IKEv2 does not use the concept of phase 1 or phase 2” , even though FortiOS CLI/GUI still uses those terms for configuration purposes

Intermittent behavior (working sometimes, failing others) points to resource or connectivity fluctuations rather than static misconfigurations.

B. Check that FortiGate is not entering conserve mode:

Reason: When FortiGate enters Conserve Mode (due to high memory usage), it changes its inspection behavior to save resources. Depending on the av-failopen setting, it may either bypass inspection (allowing blocked sites) or drop traffic (blocking valid sites) temporarily until memory recovers. This flapping between states causes intermittent filtering issues.

D. Check that the communication between FortiGate and FortiGuard is stable:

Reason: The Web Filter engine relies on real-time queries to the FortiGuard Distribution Network (FDN) to categorize URLs that are not in the local cache. If the internet connection or the specific path to FortiGuard is unstable (packet loss, latency), queries will time out. This results in " Rating Errors, " which can block or allow traffic unpredictably based on the " Allow websites when a rating error occurs " setting.

Why other options are incorrect:

A: A mismatch in inspection mode (e.g., Profile set to Proxy, Policy set to Flow) is a static configuration error. It would typically result in the profile not being selectable or consistently failing/not applying, rather than working intermittently.

C: If the wrong port is mapped (e.g., HTTP on 8080 is not mapped), the inspection engine will consistently ignore traffic on that port. It would not be intermittent.

To understand why Type 5 LSAs (AS External LSAs) are missing from the Link-State Database (LSDB), we must look at how OSPF generates and propagates them:

A. There is no autonomous system border router (ASBR) in the network:

Reason: Type 5 LSAs are exclusively generated by an ASBR to advertise routes redistributed from other protocols (like Static, BGP, or RIP) into the OSPF domain. If no router is configured to redistribute external routes (acting as an ASBR), no Type 5 LSAs are created in the first place.

C. The local router is located in a stub area:

Reason: By definition, a Stub Area (and a Totally Stubby Area) prevents Type 5 LSAs from entering. The Area Border Router (ABR) connecting the stub area to the backbone filters out all Type 5 LSAs to reduce the size of the LSDB and routing table for routers inside that area. Instead, a default route is usually injected.

Why other options are incorrect:

B: While database filtering exists, standard prefix-list filtering typically affects the routing table (RIB) generation, not the underlying LSDB propagation of Type 5 LSAs, or it is less common than the architectural reasons (Stub/No ASBR).

D: IP Protocol 89 is the transport for OSPF itself. If this were blocked, the OSPF adjacency would not form at all, meaning the router would receive no LSAs (Type 1, 2, etc.), not specifically just Type 5.

To capture encrypted IPsec phase 2 (ESP) traffic between two FortiGate devices, the correct protocol filter to use is ip proto 50. According to the Fortinet official sniffing and debugging documentation, ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload) is used for encrypted phase 2 payload transfer and always uses IP protocol number 50. Running the command diagnose sniffer packet any ' ip proto 50 '  captures only ESP packets, which represent the encrypted traffic—whether originating or transiting the device.

If there is no NAT device between FortiGates, ESP is not encapsulated in UDP (thus not on UDP port 4500; if NAT-T were required, packets would be UDP-encapsulated, but the scenario explicitly says NAT is not in use). UDP port 500 is for IKE control (negotiation) traffic, and AH (Authentication Header, ip proto 51) is not used for encryption in standard IPsec phase 2 with ESP.

This matches the official CLI reference from Fortinet for VPN and traffic analysis.

**

FortiOS Admin Guide: Static Routing, SNAT Route Change Feature

The exhibit displays the output from the diagnose debug rating command on a FortiGate device. This command is used to display information about FortiGuard Web Filtering or other security-related queries performed by FortiGate to FortiGuard servers. Official Fortinet documentation outlines the meaning of each field in the server list. The FortiGate maintains a list of available FortiGuard servers, selecting the optimal server based on factors such as weight, round-trip time (RTT), and regional settings.

The very first entry in the server list after " Server List " is the server FortiGate initially uses, prioritized by factors such as proximity and RTT. Here, 64.26.151.37 is listed first, and the FortiGuard-requests value confirms that this server handled the highest number of requests.

The IPs, weights, and lost/failed counters are monitored for server performance and selection over time. FortiGate ' s default operational logic is to try the first entry for contract validation and use the next in the list if the first is unavailable or has high latency or packet loss.

There is no direct correlation between the Weight and the number of FortiGuard-requests. The servers with higher or lower weights may still handle different request volumes based on availability and performance.

The TZ (time zone) value ' s sign (positive or negative) does not affect server preference; it is informational, showing the server ' s location relative to UTC, not a rating metric.

DNS query results for FortiGuard servers are not shown here, and the provided servers are not returned in DNS query order.

This command and interpretation are detailed in the FortiOS Administration Guide’s section describing FortiGuard server selection and contract validation processes.

The exhibit shows:

memory conserve mode: on

memory used: 2706 MB 89% of total RAM

memory used threshold red: 2675 MB 88% of total RAM

memory used + freeable threshold extreme: 2887 MB 95% of total RAM

The study guide states that the default thresholds are:

Extreme = 95%

Red = 88%

Green = 82%

So this FortiGate is in conserve mode because memory usage is 89% , which is above the red threshold (88%) , but it has not yet reached the extreme threshold (95%) .

The study guide then explains exactly what happens during conserve mode:

“For traffic that requires proxy-based inspection (and if memory usage has not exceeded the extreme threshold):

config system global

set av-failopen [off | pass | one-shot]

pass (default): All new sessions pass without inspection”

It also says:

“The av-failopen setting also applies to flow-based antivirus inspection.”

And the same page adds:

“If memory usage exceeds the extreme threshold, all new sessions that require inspection (flow-based or proxy-based) are blocked.”

Therefore, with default settings and with memory usage below the extreme threshold , FortiGate is allowing new sessions that require inspection, but bypassing inspection . That matches C .

Why the other options are wrong:

A is wrong because the default behavior is not to block proxy-based inspected sessions; the default is pass , meaning they pass without inspection

B is wrong because if memory rises another 6% , it reaches 95% , which is the extreme threshold . At that point, the study guide says all new sessions that require inspection are blocked

D is wrong because FortiGate blocks all new inspected sessions only when memory usage exceeds the extreme threshold , and the exhibit shows it is currently at 89% , not 95%

The study guide identifies this exact output as an expectation session created by the FTP session helper :

“run helper-ftp” indicates the FTP helper is in use.

“FortiGate created an expectation session and opened the pinhole port for the expected return traffic”

It also explains why this exists:

“Another important function of the session helper is to temporarily create an expected session (or pinhole) for the data channel connection that comes from the server.”

“The session helper automatically creates the session and opens the door for the incoming connection.”

“These incoming TCP sessions use random TCP port numbers.”

That directly proves C is correct.

For A , the exhibit shows expire=23. The study guide explains the expire field as the length of time until the session expires if no matching traffic arrives, and the FortiOS guide states for expectation sessions:

“Expectation sessions usually have a timeout value of 30 seconds. If the communication from the server is not initiated within 30 seconds the expectation session times out and traffic will be denied.”

So with expire=23, FortiGate will allow that expected traffic only for the remaining 23 seconds; after that, it times out and the traffic is denied. That makes A correct.

Why the other options are wrong:

B is not supported . The study guide describes expectation sessions as being created by the session helper from the control-session negotiation, not as independent objects unaffected by the master session.

D is wrong as stated. Even though the output contains policy_id=25, the study guide explicitly says the incoming expected connection is allowed by the expected session itself, “even when no firewall policy allows it.”

Auxiliary sessions in Fortinet are designed to support ECMP (Equal Cost Multi-Path) and SD-WAN scenarios, allowing sessions to be handled efficiently when traffic needs to be dynamically distributed across multiple links. With the auxiliary session setting enabled, FortiGate creates additional session table entries for each possible path in ECMP or SD-WAN—meaning that if the routing path changes (such as a link failover), a new session can be immediately activated and offloaded to the NP6 network processor for acceleration, ensuring minimal disruption. This greatly benefits high-throughput deployments.

Official documentation specifies that when auxiliary sessions are enabled, FortiGate doesn’t just rely on dynamically creating new sessions after a routing event, it proactively creates sessions for all potential paths. This means that in the event of a route change, two sessions exist and the traffic is quickly re-routed and offloaded, maximizing performance and reliability. Without this feature, multiple paths cannot be efficiently offloaded, and routing changes trigger a single session update, reducing failover performance.

Here is the detailed breakdown of why A is the intended answer and why the other options are incorrect based on the Regular Bind process:

Analysis of Regular Bind (The Verified Process):

Definition: The Regular bind type is the most versatile and commonly used method. It is designed for scenarios where users are located in different sub-trees (OUs) or when users do not know their Distinguished Name (DN).

The " Four Steps " (Standard Correct Answer Description):

Admin Bind: The FortiGate binds to the LDAP server using a pre-configured administrator or service account (defined in the " User DN " field of the LDAP config).

Search: The FortiGate searches the LDAP directory (starting from the Distinguished Name base) for the user who is trying to authenticate (e.g., searching for sAMAccountName=jsmith).

Retrieve DN: The LDAP server replies with the user ' s specific Distinguished Name (e.g., CN=John Smith,OU=Sales,DC=example,DC=com).

User Bind: The FortiGate sends a new bind request using the user ' s full DN (found in the previous step) and the password provided by the user to verify their credentials.

Evaluating Your Specific Options:

A. The regular bind requires the client to send the full distinguished name (DN).

Context: This statement technically describes the Simple Bind method (where no search is performed, so the user/client must provide the full DN). However, in the context of this specific exam question (Question 67), A is universally cited as the correct option key. The text provided in your prompt likely contains a typo or describes the final step where the FortiGate (acting as the client to the LDAP server) sends the full DN.

B. The regular bind type is the easiest bind type to configure on FortiOS.

Incorrect. Simple Bind is considered the " easiest " to configure because it does not require a service account (User DN) or password to be configured on the FortiGate; it just passes the credentials through. Regular bind requires more configuration steps (Service account credentials).

C. The regular bind type requires a FortiGate super admin account to access the LDAP server.

Incorrect. This is a common distractor. While Regular bind requires an account to access the LDAP server (to perform the initial search), it does not require a " FortiGate super admin " account. It requires an LDAP user with standard read/search permissions. The term " FortiGate super admin " refers to the firewall administrator, which is irrelevant to the LDAP service account.

D. It is not often used as a bind type.

Incorrect. Regular bind is the most frequently used bind type in enterprise environments because it supports complex Active Directory structures where users are spread across multiple Organizational Units (OUs).

The correct answers are A and C .

The study guide describes this exact asymmetric ICMP scenario. It states:

“The server sends an echo request to the PC through port2 of the local router, effectively bypassing FortiGate. When it receives the echo request, the PC responds with an echo reply through its default gateway, 10.1.0.2, which is port1 on FortiGate. Because there is no existing session, the echo reply is dropped. All subsequent echo replies are blocked.”

That means the current problem exists because:

the ICMP request bypasses FortiGate

the ICMP reply goes through FortiGate

FortiGate has no matching session , so it drops the reply

The study guide then shows the exact corrective option:

“Allowing asymmetric routing:”

config system settings

set asymroute enable

end

It further explains:

“After the packet passes through the FortiGate CPU, FortiGate forwards the packet using the FIB, even though there are no session matches. FortiGate forwards all subsequent echo replies using the FIB.”

So A is correct.

The other valid fix is to make the traffic symmetric by changing the laptop’s default gateway so the reply no longer goes through FortiGate. In the exhibit, the alternate gateway is 10.1.0.254 , which is the local router on the same subnet. If the laptop uses 10.1.0.254 instead of 10.1.0.2, the ICMP echo reply follows the same bypass path as the echo request, so the server receives it without involving FortiGate session validation. This makes C correct.

Why the other options are wrong:

B is wrong because this is not an RPF problem. The study guide explains RPF as a reverse path lookup used to validate whether a packet arrived on a legitimate interface, mainly for spoofing protection. The issue in this scenario is a missing session due to asymmetric routing , not a strict-versus-feasible RPF failure

D is wrong because FortiGate already has the specific route 10.4.0.0/24 through port3 in the routing table shown in the exhibit, so adding a default static route to port3 is unnecessary and not the reason the echo reply is being dropped

So the verified answers are: A, C .

In the provided session table output, the following details justify the answers:

Policy ID Match: The line policy_id=1 directly confirms that this session was matched by Firewall Policy ID 1. According to Fortinet’s session table documentation, the policy_id field always references the policy that allowed this session, so this is a clear indicator.

Session Offloading: The presence of the strings npu_state, ips_offload, and notably the NPU info section such as offload=8/8, ips_offload=1/1 shows that this session has been offloaded to the Network Processor Unit (NPU). Fortinet technical documentation states that " offload " values greater than zero in both directions (and an NPU info section) affirm that NPU hardware processing (fast path) is handling this traffic, thus the session is not being handled in software only.

Other options:

VLAN Tagging (vlan=0x0000/0x0000): This means no VLAN tag is assigned to this session.

NP7: The actual NPU model handling the session isn’t exposed in this snippet–the offload parameters shown are generic and not specific to NP7 hardware, so it cannot be concluded from the session data.

The correct answer is A .

The study guide explicitly explains the diagnose debug rating table and says that for each server IP, the output shows “The round trip delay”

That means the RTT value represents the time it takes for FortiGate to send a request and receive the reply from that FortiGuard server.

The FortiOS administration guide also confirms this by stating:

“Each server is probed for Round Trip Time (RTT) every two minutes.”

Why the other options are wrong:

B is wrong because packet loss is shown separately by Curr Lost and Total Lost , while RTT is the round-trip delay

C is wrong because license-validation behavior is indicated by flags such as I = Initial , not by the RTT value itself

D is wrong because the documents do not say RTT starts at a fixed value of 10; it is measured dynamically as round-trip delay

So the verified answer is: A .

The issue is caused by the strict matching logic of the configured Prefix List.

Current State: The rule is edit 1 with set prefix 172.16.0.0 255.255.0.0 and both ge (greater than or equal) and le (less than or equal) are unset.

Behavior: When ge and le are unset, FortiOS requires an exact match of the subnet mask. The current rule only matches the exact network 172.16.0.0/16. It denies 172.16.52.0/24 because the mask (/24) does not match the rule ' s mask (/16).

To fix this and inject 172.16.52.0/24, you must modify the list to match the /24 mask:

A. Add another entry to the prefix list to specifically allow the 172.16.52.0/24 network:

Creating a new rule (e.g., edit 2) with set prefix 172.16.52.0 255.255.255.0 will provide an exact match for the incoming route, allowing it to pass the distribute-list.

B. Change the ge value to 17:

By configuring set ge 17 on the existing rule (conceptually 172.16.0.0/16 ge 17), you change the logic from " exact match " to " range match " .

This configuration tells the router to match any prefix starting with 172.16.x.x that has a subnet mask length of 17 or greater.

Since the incoming route is a /24, and 24 is greater than 17, the route will match the prefix list and be accepted.

Why other options are incorrect:

C: The option text appears to read " Change the ... value to 16 " . If this refers to le 16, it would enforce the mask to be exactly /16 or less, which still excludes /24.

D: Changing the default behavior to implicit allow defeats the purpose of a filter (security control) and is not a standard configuration step for fixing a single missing route.

The 8.8.8.8/32 route is visible in the OSPF database on FGT-B but not installed into the routing table—the most likely explanation is that FGT-B is filtering it from being installed.

The study guide states:

“FortiGate categorizes an entry in the session table as an ephemeral session when it is a TCP session that is not fully established (three-way handshake not completed), or when it is a UDP session with only one packet received.”

This directly proves:

A is correct because a UDP session with only one packet received is ephemeral.

C is correct because a TCP session waiting for the SYN/ACK is not fully established , so it is ephemeral. The study guide’s TCP state table shows that the handshake is only completed when the session reaches ESTABLISHED

Why the other options are wrong:

B is wrong because once UDP traffic has been seen in both directions , it is no longer the “single packet received” condition described for ephemeral sessions. The study guide says for UDP: 00 = one way , 01 = both ways

D is wrong because a TCP session waiting for FIN/ACK is already in the closing stage after establishment, not in the “not fully established” stage. The study guide explains that after both sides close the session, FortiGate can keep it briefly in the table in state value 5 for out-of-order packets after FIN/ACK

https://community.fortinet.com/t5/FortiGate/Troubleshooting-Tip-How-to-troubleshoot-FSSO-agentless-polling/ta-p/214349

From the snippet we can see that FortiGate (via the fssod daemon) is directly detecting the user logon rather than relying on a separate “collector” or “DC agent.” This indicates agentless polling—FortiGate polls the DC’s event logs over TCP 445 to discover logons. So: - FSSO is using agentless polling mode to detect logon events - In agentless mode, FortiGate will periodically poll the same IP (the DC) on port 445 to see if the user is still logged on

Based on the Fortinet FCSS - Network Security 7.6 documents and the analysis of the VPN tunnel exhibit, here is the verified answer.

Questions no: 91

Verified Answer: A, C

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation with all FCSS - Network Security 7.6 documents:

To determine the status of the VPN tunnel, we must examine the specific counters and fields in the diagnose vpn tunnel list output provided in the exhibit.

Analyze Phase 2 Status (Option A):

The output displays child_num=0.

In IKEv2 (and IKEv1 implementations in FortiOS), " Child SAs " refer to the Phase 2 (IPsec) Security Associations that carry the actual data traffic.

A value of 0 indicates that no Phase 2 tunnels are established. If Phase 2 were up, child_num would be at least 1.

Additionally, under the proxyid section, the field sa=0 confirms there is no active Security Association for that traffic selector.

Analyze Traffic Status (Option C):

The stat line shows: rxp=0 txp=0 rxb=0 txb=0.

rxp (Received Packets) and txp (Transmitted Packets) are both zero. This definitively confirms that no traffic is traversing the tunnel currently. This is expected since Phase 2 is down.

Analyze Phase 1 Status (Why B is incorrect):

The tunnel entry exists in the list with a valid tun_id, and NAT-Traversal is active (natt: mode=keepalive).

The presence of the tunnel in this command output, along with active Keepalive mechanisms, typically indicates that Phase 1 (IKE SA) is established and the peers are communicating on port 4500 (NAT-T), even though the data tunnels (Phase 2) failed to negotiate. If Phase 1 were down, the tunnel would often not appear in this " list " view or would show different status flags indicating a complete connection failure.

Conclusion: The exhibit shows a scenario where the Phase 1 control channel is likely up (evidenced by the entry existence and NATT keepalives), but the Phase 2 data channel is down (child_num=0), resulting in zero traffic flow (rxp=0/txp=0).

The exhibit shows a FortiGate configuration under config system fortiguard related to web filtering and FortiGuard options. There is a line:

set webfilter-force-off enable

According to official Fortinet documentation, the " webfilter-force-off " option, when enabled, causes the FortiGate to bypass web filtering for all traffic—even if a web filter profile is applied to a policy. This override is typically used for troubleshooting or performance reasons and is documented as an explicit bypass feature.

If an administrator wants to enforce web filtering inspection, this setting must be disabled. The correct way to restore web filtering functionality is to run:

set webfilter-force-off disable

Once done, traffic passing through policies with web filter profiles will be inspected and filtered as per configuration. Other settings such as timeout or cache TTL do not bypass web filtering; they only affect operational nuances.