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Alfresco Application SSO (Header based SSO) Integration

miniOrange provides secure access to Alfresco for enterprises and full control over access of Alfresco application. Single Sign-On (SSO) solution for Alfresco is a cloud based service. With this service you need only one password for all your web & SaaS apps including Alfresco. miniOrange provides secure access and full control to Alfresco for enterprises and applications. With the help of the given guide you can configure Alfresco easily.

Follow the step-by-step guide given below for Alfresco SSO (Single Sign-On)

1. Configure Alfresco in miniOrange

• Login into miniOrange Admin Console.
• Go to Apps and click on Add Application button.



• In Choose Application Type click on the All Apps dropdown under the OAUTH/OpenID application type.



• Search for Alfresco in the list, if you don't find Alfresco in the list then, search for OAuth2/OpenID Connect and you can set up your application via OAuth2/OpenID Connect.



• In the Basic tab, enter the following details:

Basic Tabs	Description
Application Name:	The pre-selected app from the catalog in this case, Alfresco is automatically filled in.
Custom App Name	Provide a unique name for this app instance to differentiate it from others.
Individual Login Account	Each user logs in with their own unique credentials specific to this application.
Shared Login Account:	All users access the application using the same set of shared credentials configured by the admin.
Show on End User Dashboard	Enabling this option displays the application on the user's dashboard for easy access.
Group Name	Select the group for which you wish to add a this policy. For multiple groups, you can click here to add a multiple/separate policies for each group.
Policy Name	You can give a name for the authentication policy.
Login Method	Select how users authenticate—choose Password for traditional login or Passwordless Login for seamless access.
Enable MFA (Optional)	Toggle to enable 2-Factor Authentication for enhanced login security if required.
Enable Adaptive Authentication (Optional)	Activate this to enforce access based on user’s IP, device, location, and time conditions.




• Click on Save.
• You can edit Application by using the following steps:
• Go to the Apps.
• section from the side menu. From the list of configured apps, locate the app you created. Click the ( ⋮ ) icon next to the app and select the Edit option.



• You can edit any of the above-mentioned details in case you want to change them.

2. Configure Single Sign-On (SSO) into Alfresco

• To enable Single Sign-On (SSO) in Alfresco, the following changes are to be made in: <alfresco_root_folder>\tomcat\shared\classes\alfresco\web-extension\share-config-custom.XML
  
  

  Note:

  • Uncomment the 2nd instance of the following section at the end of the file: <config evaluator="string-compare" condition="Remote"> </config>
  Then add the following lines before the closing </config> tag.
  
  

  <connector>
    <id>alfrescoHeader</id>
    <name>Alfresco Connector</name>
    <description>Connects to an Alfresco instance using header and cookie-based authentication</description>
    <class>org.alfresco.web.site.servlet.SlingshotAlfrescoConnector</class>
    <userHeader>X-Alfresco-Remote-User</userHeader>
  </connector>
  
  <endpoint>
    <id>alfresco</id>
    <name>Alfresco - user access</name>
    <description>Access to Alfresco Repository WebScripts that require user authentication</description>
    <connector-id>alfrescoHeader</connector-id>
    <endpoint-url>http://<alfresco_base_url>/alfresco/wcs</endpoint-url>   
    <identity>user</identity>
    <external-auth>true</external-auth>
  </endpoint>
  

• The following changes are to be made in: <alfresco_root_folder>\tomcat\shared\classes\alfresco-global.properties
  

  ### EXTERNAL AUTHENTICATION ###
  authentication.chain=external1:external
  external.authentication.proxyUserName=
  external.authentication.enabled=true
  external.authentication.defaultAdministratorUserNames=admin
  external.authentication.proxyHeader=X-Alfresco-Remote-User
  

3. The following changes are to be made in Nginx server:

• The following changes are to be made in alfresco.conf file.

# HTTP server

server {
listen                80;
server_name  alfresco.example.com;
error_page 401 = @error401;

location @error401 {
return 302 http://<base_url_of_http_connector>/httpauth/sso;
}

location / {
  auth_request /auth;
  proxy_set_header X-Alfresco-Remote-User $cookie_MO_REMOTE_USER;
  #add_header X-Alfresco-Remote-User $cookie_MO_REMOTE_USER;
  #proxy_set_header   X-Alfresco-Remote-User admin;
  #add_header              X-Alfresco-Remote-User admin;
  proxy_pass http://<localhost:port_for_alfresco>;
}

location = /auth {
internal;
proxy_pass  http://<localhost:port_for_http_connector>/siebelauth/check;
}
}

• The following changes are to be made in HttpAuth.conf file.

# HTTP server
server {
  listen                80;
  server_name   <base_url_for_http_connector>;
  location / {
      proxy_pass  http://<localhost:port_for_http_connector>;
  }
}

OAuth Properties:

redirect.uri	http://<http_oauth_connector_base_url>/httpauth/redirect
client.id	Client Id value
client.secret	Client Secret value

• Siebel CRM properties

  Application.properties (OAuth Connector)

  siebel.cookie.name=MO_REMOTE_USER
  siebel.cookie.path=/
  siebel.cookie.domain=example.com
  siebel.app.url=http://alfresco.example.com
  
  

4. Adaptive Authentication with Alfresco [This will be released soon]

Adaptive Authentication for Alfresco enables administrators to enforce context-aware access policies by evaluating user login conditions such as IP address, device, location and login time. Based on the configured policy, users can be allowed access, challenged with additional verification or denied access. Administrators can also configure email alerts, customize user-facing error messages, review policy settings before deployment and assign adaptive authentication policies to application login policies to strengthen security and prevent unauthorized access.

[Note: The Adaptive Authentication section has been moved from the left navigation menu. You can now access and manage adaptive authentication policies by navigating to Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy.]

A. Restricting access to Alfresco with IP Based Access Restriction

IP Based Access Restriction allows administrators to control user access based on the source IP address of the login request. Administrators can configure trusted or restricted IP addresses and IP ranges and define the action to be taken when a user's IP address matches the configured criteria. During authentication, the user's IP address is evaluated against the configured policy and access is either Allowed, Denied or Challenged based on the selected configuration.

You can configure Adaptive Authentication with IP Based Restriction in following way :

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy section from the left side menu.



• Click on the Create Policy button on the upper right. Add a suitable policy name and click on Create Policy.



• Expand the IP Based Access Restriction section by clicking on the dropdown icon to configure IP-based access rules.



• Click Add IP Range to configure IP addresses or IP ranges for the policy.



• Specify the IP Address that you want to whitelist. For the IP Range other than the whitelisted one, you can select the above setting to reflect.
• Choose either Allow or Deny by selecting the corresponding option from the dropdown. If a user tries to login with the whitelisted IP address, they will always be allowed access.
• We support IP address range in three formats i.e., IPv4, IPv4 CIDR and IPv6 CIDR. You can choose whichever is suitable for you from the dropdown menu.
• You can add multiple IPs or IP ranges by clicking the + Add IP Range button.



• Once the changes are made, click on Next.
• Select Action for Behavior Change, choose the appropriate Action and Challenge Type for the user from that section.




Action for behavior Change Options :




Attribute	Description
Allow	Allow users to authenticate and use services if Adaptive authentication condition is true.
Deny	Deny user authentications and access to services if Adaptive authentication condition is true.
Challenge	Challenge users with one of the three methods mentioned below for verifying user authenticity.




Challenge Type Options:




Attribute	Description
User second Factor	The User needs to authenticate using the second factor he has opted or assigned for such as OTP over SMS PUSH Notification OTP over Email and many more.
KBA (Knowledge-based authentication)	The System will ask the user for 2 of 3 questions he has configured in his Self-Service Console. Only after the right answer to both questions is the user allowed to proceed further.
OTP over Alternate Email	User will receive an OTP on the alternate email they have configured through the Self Service Console. Once the user provides the correct OTP, they are allowed to proceed further.



• Click on Next to continue.

B. Restricting access to Alfresco with Device Based Access Restriction

Device Based Access Restriction allows administrators to control user access based on trusted and registered devices. By leveraging device identification and verification mechanisms, administrators can define policies that evaluate the device used during authentication. When a user attempts to log in, the device is assessed against the configured policy and the appropriate action: Allow, Challenge or Deny is applied based on the configured conditions.

You can configure Adaptive Authentication with Device Based Restriction in following way :

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy section from the left side menu.



• Click on the Create Policy button on the upper right. Add a suitable policy name and click on Create Policy.



• Click on the Dropdown option to expand the Device Based Access Restriction section to configure device-based access controls.



• Turn on the Enable Device Configuration toggle.



• Configure either Agentless Device Restriction or Agent-Based Device Restriction based on your organization's requirements.
• Agentless Device Restriction: Verifies and manages trusted devices without requiring any software or agent installation on the endpoint. It uses browser and device-based identification methods to evaluate device trust and enforce access policies during authentication.
• Agent-Based Device Restriction: Provides enhanced device trust verification by using a lightweight agent installed on managed devices. It enables advanced device validation and risk-based access control to ensure that only trusted devices can access protected resources.



• Click here to get more information about Device Based Restriction.
• Once the changes are made, click on Next.
• Under Action for Behaviour Change, select the appropriate action and challenge type for the policy.



• Click on Next to continue.

C. Restricting access to Alfresco with Location Based Access Restriction

In location restrictions, admin configures a list of locations where they want to allow end-users to either login or deny based on the condition set by the admin. When a user tries to login with adaptive authentication enabled, their Location Attributes, such as (Latitude, Longitude and Country Code) are verified against the Location list configured by the admin. Based on this user will be either allowed, challenged or denied.

You can configure Adaptive Authentication with Location Based Restriction in following way :

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy section from the left side menu.



• Click on the Create Policy button on the upper right. Add a suitable policy name and click on Create Policy.



• Click on the Dropdown to expand the Location Based Access Restriction section to configure location-based access rules.



• Select Register Location if User Completes Challenge to automatically register a user's location after successful challenge verification.
• Click on Add Location.



• In the Search Location field, enter the location name and select the appropriate location from the search results.
• Specify the radius around the selected location and choose the distance unit (KM or Miles). This will be the total area in and around the location we have configured using the Latitude and Longitude points.
• For each configured location, select whether access should be Allowed or Denied.



• You can click on the Add Location button to add more than one location and then follow steps 2-4 as mentioned above.
• Once the changes are made, click on Next.
• Select your Action for behavior Change and Challenge Type for user from the Action for behavior Change Section.



• Click on Next to continue.

D. Restricting access to Alfresco with Time Based Access Restriction

In time restriction, admin configures a time zone with Start and End Times for that timezone and users are either allowed, denied or challenged based on the condition in the policy. When an end-user tries to login with the adaptive authentication enabled, their time zone-related attributes such as Time-Zone and Current System Time, are verified against the list configured by the admin and based on the configuration, the user is either allowed, denied or challenged.

You can configure Adaptive Authentication with Time Based Restriction in following way :

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy section from the left side menu.



• Click on the Create Policy button on the upper right. Add a suitable policy name and click on Create Policy.



• Expand the Time Based Access Restriction section by clicking on the dropdown icon to Time Based Access Restriction rules.



• Enter the Login Window Buffer Time (Minutes) to allow a grace period before the start time and after the end time of the configured login window. If no value is specified, the default buffer time of 0 minutes is applied.
• Click Add Time to create a time-based access rule.



• Select the required Timezone, configure the Start Time and End Time and choose the applicable days.
• For each time-based rule, select whether access should be Allowed or Denied.



• Click on the Add Time to add more than one timezones.
• Once the changes are made, click on Next.
• Select your Action for behavior Change and Challenge Type for user from the Action for behavior Change Section.



• Click on Next to continue.

E. Email Alerts and Custom Email Message

This section handles the notifications and alerts related to Adaptive Access Policy. It provides the following options:

• Send email alerts: Configure the recipients who should receive email notifications when adaptive authentication events occur. Alerts can be sent to administrators, end users or both, depending on your monitoring and security requirements.
• Send email alerts to administrators: Enable this option to notify administrators when configured adaptive authentication events are triggered. You can optionally specify an email address under Administrator's e-mail address to receive alerts to receive alerts; otherwise, alerts are sent to the default administrator account.



• Send email alerts to end users: Enable this option to notify end users when adaptive authentication events affect their login attempts or device registrations.
• Number of Device Registrations Exceeded Allowed Count: When enabled, end users receive an email notification if they attempt to register more devices than the maximum number allowed by the configured device restriction policy. (Available only for end-user notifications.)



• Get email alerts if users login from unknown devices or locations: Admins need to enable this option to enable receiving alerts for different alert options.



Option	Description
Users login from unknown IP addresses, devices or locations	Enabling this option allows you to login from unknown IP addresses or devices and even locations.
Challenge Completed and Device Registered	Enabling this option allows you to send an email alert when an end-user completes a challenge and registers a device.
Challenge Completed but Device Not Registered	Enabling this option allows you to send an email alert when an end-user completes a challenge but do not registers the device.
Challenge Failed	Enabling this option allows you to send an email alert when an end-user fails to complete the challenge.





• In case you want multiple admin accounts to receive alerts, then you can enable the option for admin and then enter the admin emails separated by a ',' in the input field next to Administrator's email to receive alerts label. To enable alerts for the end users, you can enable the End User checkbox.
• In case you want to customize the deny message that the end user receives in case his authentication is denied due to adaptive policy, you can do this by entering the message inside Deny Message text box.

F. Review

Review the configured policy conditions, behavior change actions, email alert settings and custom error messages before creating the adaptive authentication policy. This step provides a consolidated view of all configured settings, allowing you to verify the policy configuration and make any necessary changes before saving.




• Click on Create Policy.

G. Add Adaptive Authentication policy to Alfresco

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> App Login Policy.
• Click on Edit icon option for predefined app policy.



• Set your policy in the Policy Name and select Password as First Factor.



• Enable Adaptive Authentication on Edit Login Policy page and select the required restriction method as an option.
• From Select Login Policy dropdown select the policy we created in last step.
• Apply Restrictions Using: Configure how multiple adaptive authentication restrictions should be evaluated during user login.
  • AND: All enabled restrictions must be successfully satisfied for the login attempt to be allowed.
  • OR: At least one enabled restriction must be successfully satisfied for the login attempt to be allowed.



• Adaptive Authentication Restrictions: Configure additional login restrictions and verification conditions to strengthen account security and control user access based on contextual risk factors.
  • IP Restriction: Restrict login access to specific IP addresses or IP ranges for enhanced security.
  • Device Restriction: Allow login access only from trusted or pre-authorized devices.
  • Location Restriction: Control user login access based on geographic location.
  • Time Restriction: Restrict user login access to specific days or time periods.
  • Force MFA On Each Login Attempt: Require users to complete MFA verification during every login attempt regardless of device or session state.

How to add a trusted Device

• When End-user log in to the self service console after the policy for device restriction is on, he is provided the option to add the current device as a trusted device.

External References

• miniOrange SSO Solution
• SSO Integration for other Applications