SAML SSO support for the Apache Syncope web console

Apache Syncope is a powerful open source Identity Management project, that has recently celebrated 5 years as an Apache top level project. Up to recently, a username and password must be supplied to log onto either the admin or enduser web consoles of Apache Syncope. However SAML SSO login is now supported since the 2.0.3 release. Instead of supplying a username/password, the user is redirected to a third party IdP for login, before redirecting back to the Apache Syncope web console. In 2.0.5, support for the IdP-initiated flow of SAML SSO was added.

In this post we will show how to configure Apache Syncope to use SAML SSO as an alternative to logging in using a username and password. We will use Apache CXF Fediz as the SAML SSO IdP. In addition, we will show how to achieve IdP-initiated SSO using Okta. Please also refer to this tutorial on achieving SAML SSO with Syncope and Shibboleth.

1) Logging in to Apache Syncope using SAML SSO

In this section, we will cover setting up Apache Syncope to re-direct to a third party IdP so that the user can enter their credentials. The next section will cover the IdP-initiated case.

1.a) Enable SAML SSO support in Apache Syncope

First we will configure Apache Syncope to enable SAML SSO support. Download and extract the most recent standalone distribution release of Apache Syncope (2.0.6 was used in this post). Start the embedded Apache Tomcat instance and then open a web browser and navigate to "http://localhost:9080/syncope-console", logging in as "admin" and "password".

Apache Syncope is configured with some sample data to show how it can be used. Click on "Users" and add a new user called "alice" by clicking on the subsequent "+" button. Specify a password for "alice" and then select the default values wherever possible (you will need to specify some required attributes, such as "surname"). Now in the left-hand column, click on "Extensions" and then "SAML 2.0 SP". Click on the "Service Provider" tab and then "Metadata". Save the resulting Metadata document, as it will be required to set up the SAML SSO IdP.

1.b) Set up the Apache CXF Fediz SAML SSO IdP

Next we will turn our attention to setting up the Apache CXF Fediz SAML SSO IdP. Download the most recent source release of Apache CXF Fediz (1.4.3 was used for this tutorial). Unzip the release and build it using maven ("mvn clean install -DskipTests"). In the meantime, download and extract the latest Apache Tomcat 8.5.x distribution (tested with 8.5.24). Once Fediz has finished building, copy all of the "IdP" wars (e.g. in fediz-1.4.3/apache-fediz/target/apache-fediz-1.4.3/apache-fediz-1.4.3/idp/war/fediz-*) to the Tomcat "webapps" directory.

There are a few configuration changes to be made to Apache Tomcat before starting it. Download the HSQLDB jar and copy it to the Tomcat "lib" directory. Next edit 'conf/server.xml' and configure TLS on port 8443:

The two keys referenced here can be obtained from 'apache-fediz/target/apache-fediz-1.4.3/apache-fediz-1.4.3/examples/samplekeys/' and should be copied to the root directory of Apache Tomcat. Tomcat can now be started.

Next we have to configure Apache CXF Fediz to support Apache Syncope as a "service" via SAML SSO. Edit 'webapps/fediz-idp/WEB-INF/classes/entities-realma.xml' and add the following configuration:

In addition, we need to make some changes to the "idp-realmA" bean in this file:

• Add a reference to this bean in the "applications" list: <ref bean="srv-syncope" />
• Change the "idpUrl" property to: https://localhost:8443/fediz-idp/saml
• Change the port for "stsUrl" from "9443" to "8443".

Now we need to configure Fediz to accept Syncope's signing cert. Edit the Metadata file you saved from Syncope in step 1.a. Copy the Base-64 encoded certificate in the "KeyDescriptor" section, and paste it (including line breaks) into 'webapps/fediz-idp/WEB-INF/classes/syncope.cert', enclosing it in between "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----" and "-----END CERTIFICATE-----".

Now restart Apache Tomcat. Open a browser and save the Fediz metadata which is available at "http://localhost:8080/fediz-idp/metadata?protocol=saml", which we will require when configuring Apache Syncope.

1.c) Configure the Apache CXF Fediz IdP in Syncope

The final configuration step takes place in Apache Syncope again. In the "SAML 2.0 SP" configuration screen, click on the "Identity Providers" tab and click the "+" button and select the Fediz metadata that you saved in the previous step. Now logout and an additional login option can be seen:

Select the URL for the SAML SSO IdP and you will be redirected to Fediz. Select the IdP in realm "A" as the home realm and enter credentials of "alice/ecila" when prompted. You will be successfully authenticated to Fediz and redirected back to the Syncope admin console, where you will be logged in as the user "alice". 

2) Using IdP-initiated SAML SSO

Instead of the user starting with the Syncope web console, being redirected to the IdP for authentication, and then redirected back to Syncope - it is possible instead to start from the IdP. In this section we will show how to configure Apache Syncope to support IdP-initiated SAML SSO using Okta.

2.a) Configuring a SAML application in Okta

The first step is to create an account at Okta and configure a SAML application. This process is mapped out at the following link. Follow the steps listed on this page with the following additional changes:

• Specify the following for the Single Sign On URL: http://localhost:9080/syncope-console/saml2sp/assertion-consumer
• Specify the following for the audience URL: http://localhost:9080/syncope-console/
• Specify the following for the default RelayState: idpInitiated

When the application is configured, you will see an option to "View Setup Instructions". Open this link in a new tab and find the section about the IdP Metadata. Save this to a local file and set it aside for the moment. Next you need to assign the application to the username that you have created at Okta.

2.b) Configure Apache Syncope to support IdP-Initiated SAML SSO

Log on to the Apache Syncope admin console using the admin credentials, and add a new IdP Provider in the SAML 2.0 SP extension as before, using the Okta metadata file that you have saved in the previous section. Edit the metadata and select the 'Support Unsolicited Logins' checkbox. Save the metadata and make sure that the Okta user is also a valid user in Apache Syncope.

Now go back to the Okta console and click on the application you have configured for Apache Syncope. You should seemlessly be logged into the Apache Syncope admin console.