OSX: "Cisco Anyconnect" pop-ups freezes my laptop.

[sabh087222]

I tied to install Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client on my MacBook Air. After I tried to setup, it said 'installation failed'. Then I simply deleted the application, emptied the trash, and restarted. However, there is a Cisco pop-up now which keeps coming up all the time, which is freezing my desktop and ability to work. It just keeps popping all the time....

Screenshot below. It says "The VPN client agent was unable to create the client DNS plugin manager. A system restart may be required after the system extension approval, as prompted' This pop-up is not going away even though I cannot find any remains of the Cisco software on my hard drive.

How can I stop this? Please help.

Thanks so much!

[marce1000]

 - Check if the solving-remark from this thread can help :

                 https://community.cisco.com/t5/vpn/cisco-anyconnect-secure-mobility-client-installation-error/td-p/1927038

 M.

[Hermenegildah]

Your link takes us to a 2012 article about installing AnyConnect on Windows XP. The OP'er is running macOS. Any other suggestions?

[xdc]

please reply. this is not solved and very annoying. thank you. 

[xdc]

@marce1000 , the article you mention talks of not using AV and 3rd party apps. I do not have any antivirus apps. I had no app whatsoever running next to the installer. Which apps are you talking about? thank you. 

[xdc]

@marce1000 , I installed anyconnect-macos-4.9.04043-core-vpn-webdeploy-k9.dmg while booted in Safe Mode and even with Firewall off in System Preferences, to no avail. The message remains. Please advise, this connection is essential for home office. Thank you

[marce1000]

 Ref : https://manualsbrain.com/en/manuals/1619377/?page=31

                         The VPN client agent was unable to create the client DNS plugin manager.

Description

The client service experienced an unexpected and unrecoverable error while attempting 

to create its DNS plugin management subsystem.

Recommended User Response

Run DART. (See 

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/smb/routers/cisco-rv-series-small-business-routers/smb5459-gather-information-for-basic-troubleshooting-on-cisco-anycon.html

.) 

Report the error to your organization's technical support and include the DART bundle

Recommended Administrator Response

Open a case with the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) 

and include the DART bundle

M.

[xdc]

thanks @marce1000 

the manualsbrain ref I found as well. It refers to Cisco Anyconnect 2.x, we have 4.x. Clicking the DART link in this document leads to a retirement page for 3.x. very confusing. 

The DART page from the link in your post does not have a download link for DART. DART seems to be an application that I need to collect info about what is going wrong during installation. Right now, Cisco AnyConnect is not installed on my system. 

I can see that the link is for small businesses, but I'm at a University with 12000 students. 

How to proceed? 

thank you

[marce1000]

                        >....Cisco AnyConnect is not installed on my system

  That seems to contradict the subject of your post.....

 M.

[xdc]

I got rid of the worst, meaning the popups remaining even after uninstalling. This was not by anything I did, as far as I can tell.

Now I get the popups as soon as I reinstall the most recent version from the University website. I don't want to force it and rather solve the problem first.

Can I download a functional DART somewhere, run it while reinstalling AnyConnect (risking not being able to use my computer), and submit what DART finds?

thank you

[marce1000]

 >I got rid of the worst, meaning the popups remaining even after uninstalling. This was not by anything I did, as far as I can tell.

  Hm, that is worry some. It could in the worst case mean that your system is in a corrupted state w.r.t previous  Anyconnect installations. In such cases it would be advisable to wipe-out the Mac and re-install from scratch.

>Now I get the popups as soon as I reinstall the most recent version from the University website. I don't want to force it and rather solve the problem first

  - Also considering my earlier reply , it would help if you could obtain a 'reference system' ; meaning a virgin Mac with nothing else installed where you could then test the intended version and check if your original problem is then persistent or not.

                               >Can I download a functional DART somewhere

  https://community.cisco.com/t5/security-documents/how-to-collect-the-dart-bundle-for-anyconnect/ta-p/3156025

 M.

[IntellexRSK]

Your responses really aren't helpful.  I'm in the same situation.  I was given a link to install AnyConnect version 4.9.04043 by a school I work with.  After what appears to be a successful installation on a Mac running 10.15.7 and another running 10.14.6, I get the same consistent dialog about being unable to create the client DNS plugin manager.  

It mentions a prompt for system extension approval, which never appeared.  There is also nothing in the Scurity & Privacy system preference to approve.  Please explain how to resolve this problem on a Mac.

[Mohammed al Baqari]

Uninstall anyconnect then reinstall and give permission to anyconnect
extension from mqv security center. See if this fixes the problem

**** please remember to rate useful posts

[marce1000]

 - Last but not least , if the problems keep re-appearing on your or the reference Mac, check the system logs with :

          https://www.howtogeek.com/356942/how-to-view-the-system-log-on-a-mac/#:~:text=View%20System%20Logs%20in%20the,%3E%20Applications%20%3E%20Utilities%20%3E%20Console.

 Look for all sort of troubles such as resource problems , if any (e.g.)

 M.

[xdc]

Hi marce1000, 

tech support at our university spent an hour on this and found that the .kext did not install properly, likely an incompatibility with Mojave, not from remains of an older installation. The solution was to uninstall via uninstaller, install a previous version and block auto-updates as described here, https://community.cisco.com/t5/routing/how-to-disable-product-update-on-cisco-anyconnect-mobility/td-p/2593241 ie. opening /opt/cisco/anyconnect/AnyConnectLocalPolicy.xml and setting <BypassDownloader>false</BypassDownloader> to true. 

Thank you for your help!