Pulse Secure not connecting with Bitdefender Total Security 2019

[1amnew]

Hi,

I'm supposed to use Pulse Secure to connect to a client local network. This fails both when on site and from home with an error of non-conformity to protection policy. It says:

a) Please check if you have a personal firewall and an updated antivirus running.

b) Windows Defender 4.18.1902.5 does not comply with policy. Compliance requires real time protection enabled.

My Bitdefender Total Security 2019 v2.17.1709-5e637d6 is up to date and the firewall is setup to allow pulse secure with any protocol in both directions. I asked their support to guide me through the setup to ensure Pulse is not blocked.

For Windows Defender this is disabled.

Also, client helpdesk confirmed that my Bitdefender product is compliant but cannot help me further.

I've tried searching material online but can't find anything that can help.

Here's the log of my last attempted connection:

00184,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.566 3 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe DSInvokeSetupClient p14760 t2DA0 dsInvokeSetupClient.cpp:549 - 'DSInvokeSetupClient::sendAndRecv()' bytesRecv 121
00304,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.566 3 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe DSInvokeSetupClient p14760 t2DA0 dsInvokeSetupClient.cpp:552 - 'DSInvokeSetupClient::sendAndRecv()' received: "DSSETUP_RETURN_CODE=-54
startSession=ManifestFile=C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temp\preConfiguration_1.manifest

"
00220,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.566 3 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe DSInvokeSetupClient p14760 t2DA0 dsInvokeSetupClient.cpp:557 - 'DSInvokeSetupClient::sendAndRecv()' End of buffer reached: return DSSETUP_ERR_SUCCESS
00184,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.566 3 Administrator PulseSetupClient.exe PulseSetupClient p14232 t3B04 JuniperSetupSocket.cpp:118 - 'DSSetupClientInstallLock()' ReleaseMutex(DSSETUPCLIENT_MUTEX)
00185,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.567 3 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe DSInvokeSetupClient p14760 t2DA0 dsInvokeSetupClient.cpp:428 - 'DSInvokeSetupClient::invokeSetupClient()' Ending 0
00295,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.567 3 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe DSInvokeSetupClient p14760 t2DA0 dsInvokeSetupClient.cpp:183 - 'DSInvokeSetupClient::invoke()' ReceiveSSETUP_RETURN_CODE=-54
startSession=ManifestFile=C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temp\preConfiguration_1.manifest

00178,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.567 3 Administrator PulseSetupClient.exe PulseSetupClient p14232 t3B04 dsSetupParameters.cpp:88 - 'DSSetupParameters::getParameter()' ProductName=JunosPulse
00179,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.567 3 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe DSInvokeSetupClient p14760 t2DA0 JuniperSetupUtils.cpp:965 - 'dsRetrieveNameValue()' DSSETUP_RETURN_CODE=-54
00172,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.567 3 Administrator PulseSetupClient.exe PulseSetupClient p14232 t3B04 JuniperSetupSocket.cpp:309 - 'JuniperSetupSocket::run()' Wait for connection...
00176,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.568 3 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe DSInvokeSetupClient p14760 t2DA0 dsInvokeSetupClient.cpp:197 - 'DSInvokeSetupClient::invoke()' return:-54
00185,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.568 0 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe DSInvokeSetupClient p14760 t2DA0 dsInvokeSetupClient.cpp:224 - 'DSInvokeSetupClient::invokeEx()' invoke failed -54
00170,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.568 3 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe PSAL p14760 t2DA0 dsSetupClientHelper.cpp:218 - 'DSSetupClientHelper::invokeSetupDll()' retCode=-54
00168,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.568 3 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe PSAL p14760 t2DA0 dsSetupClientHelper.cpp:88 - 'DSSetupClientHelper::invoke()' ended, retCode=-54
00164,09 2019/10/24 11:56:59.568 1 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe PSAL p14760 t2DA0 applauncher.cpp:759 - 'Psal::AppLauncher' clientHelper.invoke() failed: -54
00170,09 2019/10/24 11:57:00.462 1 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe PSAL p14760 t2DA0 applauncher.cpp:663 - 'Psal::AppLauncher' Failed to communicate with setup client
00147,09 2019/10/24 11:57:00.462 1 Administrator PulseApplicationLauncher.exe PSAL p14760 t2DA0 psal.cpp:311 - 'Psal' Failed to do the requested operation

Can anyone help?

Thank you.

[[email protected]]

Hi @1amnew,

It seems that the Pulse Client is not detecting the Bitdefender TS 2019 product, please inform your VPN server team to upload and activate the latest ESAP package on the VPN server and check the behavior.

Thanks,

Ray.

[1amnew]

Thank you, [email protected] 

I'm going to do it today.

In the mean time I had to uninstall BitDefender and activate Windows Defender and Pulse is connecting fine !! - what a security policy in place they have!!

I think this confirms your suggestion of asking them to install the latest ESAP package. Curious to see what they reply to me.

Thank you!

[[email protected]]

Thank you for the update, @1amnew.

[Naajk]

Got a similar issue. In Bitdefender -> Privacy -> Anti-tracker -> Settings : I deactived It for the browser that I use with Pulse. (Edge in my case) Then I did a reset of the browser to its initial settings (in Edge -> Settings -> Reset settings.) And Pulse connected just fine aftwerwards.

[Naajk]

Got a similar issue. In Bitdefender -> Privacy -> Anti-tracker -> Settings : I deactived It for the browser that I use with Pulse. (Edge in my case) Then I did a reset of the browser to its initial settings (in Edge -> Settings -> Reset settings.) And Pulse connected just fine aftwerwards.