GlobalProtect Tunnel Inspection Conflict with No-Decrypt Rule
This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of secure access and vpn. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Decryption policy rule:
{
"name": "Skip Decrypt for VPN",
"from": ["any"],
"to": ["any"],
"source": ["10.0.0.0/8"],
"destination": ["any"],
"service": ["application-default"],
"category": ["any"],
"action": "no-decrypt"
}
Additionally, the GlobalProtect gateway is configured with 'Tunnel Inspection' set to 'Required'.
A GlobalProtect user behind the tunnel is unable to browse HTTPS websites. What is the issue?
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Decryption policy rule:
{
"name": "Skip Decrypt for VPN",
"from": ["any"],
"to": ["any"],
"source": ["10.0.0.0/8"],
"destination": ["any"],
"service": ["application-default"],
"category": ["any"],
"action": "no-decrypt"
}
Additionally, the GlobalProtect gateway is configured with 'Tunnel Inspection' set to 'Required'.
A
The firewall's decryption policy is not applied to the tunnel
Why wrong: The policy is applied globally; the issue is the conflict between the rule and tunnel inspection setting.
B
The decryption policy rule blocks traffic from 10.0.0.0/8
Why wrong: The rule sets 'no-decrypt' which does not block; it bypasses decryption.
C
The user's SSL certificate is not trusted
Why wrong: SSL certificate trust issues would cause warnings, not complete inability to browse.
D
The tunnel inspection required conflicts with the no-decrypt rule, causing SSL sessions to be dropped
When tunnel inspection is required, the firewall must decrypt all SSL traffic. A no-decrypt rule forces decryption to be skipped, causing the firewall to drop the session.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The tunnel inspection required conflicts with the no-decrypt rule, causing SSL sessions to be dropped
When a GlobalProtect tunnel is established, the firewall applies tunnel inspection to decrypt and inspect traffic inside the tunnel. If a no-decrypt rule exists (e.g., for certain traffic or users), it conflicts with the tunnel inspection requirement, causing the firewall to drop SSL sessions because it cannot both inspect and bypass decryption. This results in HTTPS websites being unreachable for the user behind the tunnel.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The firewall's decryption policy is not applied to the tunnel
Why it's wrong here
The policy is applied globally; the issue is the conflict between the rule and tunnel inspection setting.
✗
The decryption policy rule blocks traffic from 10.0.0.0/8
Why it's wrong here
The rule sets 'no-decrypt' which does not block; it bypasses decryption.
✗
The user's SSL certificate is not trusted
Why it's wrong here
SSL certificate trust issues would cause warnings, not complete inability to browse.
✓
The tunnel inspection required conflicts with the no-decrypt rule, causing SSL sessions to be dropped
Why this is correct
When tunnel inspection is required, the firewall must decrypt all SSL traffic. A no-decrypt rule forces decryption to be skipped, causing the firewall to drop the session.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume the issue is a missing decryption policy (Option A) or a certificate trust problem (Option C), overlooking the specific conflict between tunnel inspection and no-decrypt rules that causes SSL sessions to be dropped.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Tunnel inspection in PAN-OS creates a virtual wire between the tunnel interface and the ingress interface, requiring decryption to inspect encrypted traffic. The no-decrypt rule (e.g., for categories like 'healthcare' or 'financial-services') overrides decryption, but tunnel inspection cannot be bypassed, leading to a drop. In real-world scenarios, this often occurs when administrators add a no-decrypt rule for compliance without considering tunnel inspection requirements, causing silent failures for HTTPS traffic.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PCNSE exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Secure Access and VPN — This question tests Secure Access and VPN — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The tunnel inspection required conflicts with the no-decrypt rule, causing SSL sessions to be dropped — When a GlobalProtect tunnel is established, the firewall applies tunnel inspection to decrypt and inspect traffic inside the tunnel. If a no-decrypt rule exists (e.g., for certain traffic or users), it conflicts with the tunnel inspection requirement, causing the firewall to drop SSL sessions because it cannot both inspect and bypass decryption. This results in HTTPS websites being unreachable for the user behind the tunnel.
What should I do if I get this PCNSE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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