SAML Single Sign-On into Joomla using Azure AD/Microsoft Entra ID

Overview

miniOrange Joomla SAML SP SSO plugin helps you to integrate your Joomla site to Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) using SAML 2.0 protocol. Our user-friendly plugin simplifies the process of setting up Single Sign-on (SSO) with Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) in Joomla, ensuring a secure login experience. This enables users to access various Joomla sites effortlessly using their Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) IDP credentials.

Our plugin is designed to be compatible with Joomla 3, 4 as well as 5 and works seamlessly with all SAML 2.0 compliant Identity Providers. For a detailed overview of the comprehensive features offered by the Joomla SAML SP plugin, please visit our page here. Below, we provide a step-by-step guide on configuring SAML SSO login between your Joomla site and Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), with Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) serving as the Identity Provider (IDP) and Joomla as the Service Provider (SP).

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To setup Single Sign-On between Joomla and Azure AD/Microsoft Entra ID, you can also follow this step by step Setup Video.

Configuration Steps

In this setup, Azure AD/Microsoft Entra ID serves as the repository for storing users i.e. it will act as the IDP while Joomla is where users will log in using their credentials from Azure AD/Microsoft Entra ID where Joomla SAML SP SSO Plugin will be installed.

Step 1: Install Joomla SAML SP Plugin

Login into your Joomla site’s Administrator console.
From left toggle menu, click on System, then under Install section click on Extensions.
Now click on Or Browse for file button to locate and install the plugin file downloaded earlier.

Installation of plugin is successful. Now click on Get Started!

Go to the Service Provider Metadata tab and scroll down to copy the SP-EntityID and the ACS URL.

Step 2: Configure Azure AD/Microsoft Entra ID as IDP (Identity Provider)

Microsoft Entra ID setup through App Registration
Microsoft Entra ID setup through Enterprise Application

Search and select Microsoft Entra ID.

Click on App Registrations, then click on New Registration.

Assign a Name and choose the account type of your Application. In the Redirect URI field, provide the ACS URL provided in the Service Provider Metadata tab of the plugin and then click on the Register button.

Now, navigate to Expose an API from the left menu panel and click the Add/Set button to replace the APPLICATION ID URI with the SP Entity ID value from the Service Provider Metadata tab of the plugin.

NOTE: Please make sure that the SP Entity ID value in the Service Provider Metadata tab does not end with a slash ('/'). If it does, please remove the trailing slash from the SP EntityID/Issuer field in the Service Provider Metadata tab of the plugin. Enter the updated value on the Azure end and Save the changes. If you continue to face difficulties while setting up the application ID URL, please click here for instructions on resolving the issue.

Go back to Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) ⇒ App Registrations window and click on Endpoints link.

This will open a window with multiple URLs. You can copy the Federation Metadata document URL from this window and utilize it for configuration in the Joomla SAML SP plugin.

You have successfully configured Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) as your IDP Provider.

Log in to Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) Portal.
Select Enterprise Applications.

Click on New Application.

Click on Create your own Application and enter the App name then click on Create button.

Click on the Set up Single Sign-On.

Select SAML here.

Now, click on Edit button and enter the SP Entity ID for Identifier and the ACS URL for Reply URL from Service Provider Metadata tab of the plugin.

By default, the following Attributes will be sent in the SAML response. You can view or edit the claims sent in the SAML response to the application under the User Attributes & Claims Step.

Copy App Federation Metadata URL. This will be used while configuring the Joomla SAML plugin.

Assign users and groups to your SAML application:

As a security control, Azure AD will not issue a token allowing a user to sign in to the application unless Azure AD has granted access to the user. Users may be granted access directly, or through group membership.
Click on Users and groups from the applications left-hand navigation menu. The next screen presents the options for assigning the users/groups to the application.

After clicking on Add user/group, Select Users and groups in the Add Assignment screen.
The next screen shows the option to select users or invite external users. You can also assign groups to the application here. Select the appropriate user or group and click on Select button.

Step 3: Configure Joomla as SP (Service Provider)

In Joomla SAML plugin, go to Service Provider Setup tab. There are three ways to configure the plugin:

A. By uploading IDP metadata:

In Joomla SAML plugin, go to Service Provider Setup tab, then click on Upload IdP Metadata.

B. By Metadata URL:

Enter Metadata URL (Copy from IDP app) and click on Fetch button.

C. Manual Configuration:

Copy SAML Entity ID, SAML Single-Sign-On Endpoint URL and X.509 certificate from Federation Metadata document and paste it in Idp Entity ID or Issuer, Single Sign-on URL, X.509 Certificate fields respectively in the plugin.

IdP Entity ID or Issuer	SAML Entity ID in the Federation Metadata document
Single Sign-On URL	SAML Single-Sign-On Endpoint URL in the Federation Metadata document
X.509 Certificate Value	X.509 Certificate in the Federation Metadata document

Step 4: Attribute Mapping - Premium Feature

Attributes are user details that are stored in your Identity Provider.
Attribute Mapping helps you to get user attributes from your Identity Provider (IDP) and map them to Joomla user attributes like firstname, lastname, address, phone etc.
While auto registering the users in your Joomla site these attributes will automatically get mapped to your Joomla user details.
Go to Attribute Mapping tab and fill in all the fields.

Username:	Name of the username attribute from IdP (Keep NameID by default)
Email:	Name of the email attribute from IdP (Keep NameID by default)
Name:	Name of the name attribute from IdP

You can check the Test Configuration Results under Service Provider Setup tab to get a better idea of which values to map here.

Note: You can see how Attribute Mapping works here.

Step 5: Group Mapping - Premium Feature

Group/Role mapping helps you to assign specific roles to users of a certain group in your Identity Provider (IdP).
While auto registering, the users are assigned roles based on the group they are mapped to.

Group/Role mapping helps you to assign specific roles to users of a certain group in your Identity Provider (IdP).
While auto registering, the users are assigned roles based on the group they are mapped to.

Note: You can see how Group/Role Mapping works here.

Step 6: Redirection & SSO Links

Go to Login Settings tab. You can add login Url to Perform SAML SSO in your Joomla site by following the steps below.
There are multiple features available in this tab like Auto redirect the user to Identity Provider and Enable Backend Login for Super Users. To use these features, click on the respective checkboxes.

Click on the Upgrade tab to check out our complete list of features and various licensing plans. OR you can click here to check features and licensing plans.
In case, you are facing some issue or have any question in mind, you can reach out to us by sending us your query through the Support button in the plugin or by sending us a mail at joomlasupport@xecurify.com.

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