Overview

It is crucial to ensure secure access to web applications, especially sensitive backend systems. For Joomla, a popular content management system, authorized access to the backend is essential. Organizations often use Identity Providers (IDPs) to centrally manage user authentication, offering Single Sign-On (SSO) for users to log in across multiple platforms. This use case addresses the challenge of integrating SSO for backend access into Joomla.

Prerequisites

This use case has been seamlessly implemented using the plugins listed below. To achieve this, you will need to install these plugins on your Joomla instance.

miniOrange SAML Single Sign-On Service Provider

Download Extension

The Challenge

The objective is to allow users to access the Joomla backend using their IDP credentials rather than their Joomla credentials. When a user tries to log in by visiting the administrator URL, they will be redirected to the IDP login screen to complete single sign-on (SSO).

Our Solution

• We used our miniOrange SAML SSO plugin to configure single sign-on between Joomla and the client's IDP, allowing users to log in to the Joomla site using their IDP credentials.

• We added a new feature to our miniOrange Single Sign-On plugin that allows site owners to enable backend login for their users via Single Sign-On (SSO). Site owners can set which users or roles are allowed to access the backend through the extension settings. This feature includes a backdoor URL that users can use to bypass the Single Sign-On process and log in directly to the Joomla backend.

• Users or roles/groups without backdoor access are redirected to the front end of the Joomla site or are shown an error message.

Result

• In conclusion, miniOrange successfully implemented backend login into the Joomla admin page using Single Sign-On, which allowed users with backdoor access to log in to the Joomla admin page after performing SSO with the client’s preferred IDP.

Additional Resources

1. Joomla Single Sign-On
2. Joomla OAuth/OIDC Single Sign-On
3. Use Cases for Joomla