How to Use the Azure Active Directory Authentication for MVC / Razor Page Applications

This guide demonstrates how to integrate AzureAD to an ABP application that enables users to sign in using OAuth 2.0 with credentials from Azure Active Directory.

Adding Azure Active Directory is pretty straightforward in ABP framework. Couple of configurations needs to be done correctly.

Two different alternative approaches for AzureAD integration will be demonstrated for better coverage.

  1. AddOpenIdConnect: This approach uses default OpenIdConnect which can be used for not only AzureAD but for all OpenId connections.
  2. AddMicrosoftIdentityWebAppAuthentication: This approach uses newly introduced Microsoft.Identity.Web nuget package to replace AddAzureAD.
  3. AddAzureAD: This approach uses Microsoft AzureAD UI nuget package which is very popular when users search the web about how to integrate AzureAD to their web application. Now marked Obsolete (see https://github.com/aspnet/Announcements/issues/439).

There is no difference in functionality between these approaches. AddAzureAD is an abstracted way of OpenIdConnection (source) with predefined cookie settings.

However there are key differences in integration to ABP applications because of default configured signin schemes which will be explained below.

1. AddOpenIdConnect

If you don't want to use an extra nuget package in your application, you can use the straight default OpenIdConnect which can be used for all OpenId connections including AzureAD external authentication.

You don't have to use appsettings.json configuration but it is a good practice to set AzureAD information in the appsettings.json.

To get the AzureAD information from appsettings.json, which will be used in OpenIdConnectOptions configuration, simply add a new section to appsettings.json located in your .Web project:

  "AzureAd": {
    "Instance": "https://login.microsoftonline.com/",
    "TenantId": "<your-tenant-id>",
    "ClientId": "<your-client-id>",
    "Domain": "domain.onmicrosoft.com",
    "CallbackPath": "/signin-azuread-oidc"	
  }

Then, In your .Web project; you can modify the ConfigureAuthentication method located in your ApplicationWebModule with the following:

private void ConfigureAuthentication(ServiceConfigurationContext context, IConfiguration configuration)
        {
            context.Services.AddAuthentication()
                ... //Omitted other third party configurations
                .AddOpenIdConnect("AzureOpenId", "Azure Active Directory OpenId", options =>
                 {
                    options.Authority = "https://login.microsoftonline.com/" + configuration["AzureAd:TenantId"] + "/v2.0/";
                    options.ClientId = configuration["AzureAd:ClientId"];
                    options.ResponseType = OpenIdConnectResponseType.CodeIdToken;
                    options.CallbackPath = configuration["AzureAd:CallbackPath"];
                    options.ClientSecret = configuration["AzureAd:ClientSecret"];
                    options.RequireHttpsMetadata = false;
                    options.SaveTokens = true;
                    options.GetClaimsFromUserInfoEndpoint = true;
                    options.Scope.Add("email");

                    options.ClaimActions.MapJsonKey(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier, "sub");
                 });
        }

Don't forget to:

And that's it, integration is completed. Keep on mind that you can connect any other external authentication providers.

2. Alternative Approach: AddMicrosoftIdentityWebApp

With .Net 5.0, AzureAd is marked obsolete and will not be supported in the near future. However its expanded functionality is available in microsoft-identity-web packages.

Add (or replace with) the new nuget package Microsoft.Identity.Web nuget package](https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.Identity.Web/).

In your .Web project; you update the ConfigureAuthentication method located in your ApplicationWebModule with the following while having the AzureAd appsettings section as defined before:

private void ConfigureAuthentication(ServiceConfigurationContext context, IConfiguration configuration)
        {
    		context.Services.AddAuthentication()
                ... //Omitted other third party configurations
            .AddMicrosoftIdentityWebApp(configuration.GetSection("AzureAd"));
    
    		context.Services.Configure<OpenIdConnectOptions>(OpenIdConnectDefaults.AuthenticationScheme, options =>
            {
                options.Authority = "https://login.microsoftonline.com/" + configuration["AzureAd:TenantId"] + "/v2.0/";
                options.ClientId = configuration["AzureAd:ClientId"];
                options.ResponseType = OpenIdConnectResponseType.CodeIdToken;
                options.CallbackPath = configuration["AzureAd:CallbackPath"];
                options.ClientSecret = configuration["AzureAd:ClientSecret"];
                options.RequireHttpsMetadata = false;
                options.SaveTokens = false;
                options.GetClaimsFromUserInfoEndpoint = true;

                options.SignInScheme = IdentityConstants.ExternalScheme;
                
                options.ClaimActions.MapJsonKey(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier, "sub");
            });
		}

And that's all to add new Microsoft-Identity-Web.

Don't forget to:

  • Add options.SignInScheme = IdentityConstants.ExternalScheme since default signin scheme is AzureADOpenID.
  • Add options.ClaimActions.MapJsonKey(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier, "sub");. Mapping this to ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier is important since default SignIn Manager behavior uses this claim type for external login information.

Keep in mind that Microsoft-Identity-Web is relatively new and keeps getting new enhancements, features and documentation.

3. Obsolete Alternative Approach: AddAzureAD

This approach uses the most common way to integrate AzureAD by using the Microsoft AzureAD UI nuget package.

If you choose this approach, you will need to install Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.AzureAD.UI package to your .Web project. Also, since AddAzureAD extension uses configuration binding, you need to update your appsettings.json file located in your .Web project.

Updating appsettings.json

You need to add a new section to your appsettings.json which will be binded to configuration when configuring the OpenIdConnectOptions:

  "AzureAd": {
    "Instance": "https://login.microsoftonline.com/",
    "TenantId": "<your-tenant-id>",
    "ClientId": "<your-client-id>",
    "Domain": "domain.onmicrosoft.com",
    "CallbackPath": "/signin-azuread-oidc"	
  }

Important configuration here is the CallbackPath. This value must be the same with one of your Azure AD-> app registrations-> Authentication -> RedirectUri.

Then, you need to configure the OpenIdConnectOptions to complete the integration.

Configuring OpenIdConnectOptions

In your .Web project, locate your ApplicationWebModule and modify ConfigureAuthentication method with the following:

private void ConfigureAuthentication(ServiceConfigurationContext context, IConfiguration configuration)
        {
            context.Services.AddAuthentication()
            ... //Omitted other third party configurations
            .AddAzureAD(options => configuration.Bind("AzureAd", options));

            context.Services.Configure<OpenIdConnectOptions>(AzureADDefaults.OpenIdScheme, options =>
            {
                options.Authority = options.Authority + "/v2.0/";         
                options.ClientId = configuration["AzureAd:ClientId"];
                options.CallbackPath = configuration["AzureAd:CallbackPath"];
                options.ResponseType = OpenIdConnectResponseType.CodeIdToken;
                options.RequireHttpsMetadata = false;

                options.TokenValidationParameters.ValidateIssuer = false; 
                options.GetClaimsFromUserInfoEndpoint = true;
                options.SaveTokens = true;
                options.SignInScheme = IdentityConstants.ExternalScheme;

                options.Scope.Add("email");
                
                options.ClaimActions.MapJsonKey(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier, "sub");
            });
		}

Don't forget to:

  • Add .AddAzureAD(options => configuration.Bind("AzureAd", options)) after .AddAuthentication(). This binds your AzureAD appsettings and easy to miss out.
  • Add options.ClaimActions.MapJsonKey(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier, "sub");. Mapping this to ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier is important since default SignIn Manager behavior uses this claim type for external login information.
  • Add options.SignInScheme = IdentityConstants.ExternalScheme since default signin scheme is AzureADOpenID.
  • Add options.Scope.Add("email") if you are using v2.0 endpoint of AzureAD since v2.0 endpoint doesn't return the email claim as default. The Account Module uses email claim to register external users.

You are done and integration is completed.

The Source Code

You can find the source code of the completed example here.

FAQ

  • Help! GetExternalLoginInfoAsync returns null! (Using obsolute AddAzureAD)

    • There can be 2 reasons for this;

      1. You are trying to authenticate against wrong scheme. Check if you set SignInScheme to IdentityConstants.ExternalScheme:

        options.SignInScheme = IdentityConstants.ExternalScheme;

      2. Your ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier is null. Check if you added claim mapping:

        JwtSecurityTokenHandler.DefaultInboundClaimTypeMap.Clear();
JwtSecurityTokenHandler.DefaultInboundClaimTypeMap.Add("sub", ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier);

  • Help! GetExternalLoginInfoAsync returns null! (Using AddMicrosoftIdentityWebAppAuthentication)

    • Pass cookieScheme parameter as null. (See this issue).

  • Help! I am getting System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null. (Parameter 'userName') error!

    to your openid configuration.

  • Help! I keep getting AADSTS50011: The reply URL specified in the request does not match the reply URLs configured for the application error!

    • If you set your CallbackPath in appsettings as:

        "AzureAd": {
    ...
    "CallbackPath": "/signin-azuread-oidc"	
  }

      your Redirect URI of your application in azure portal must be with domain like https://localhost:44320/signin-azuread-oidc, not only /signin-azuread-oidc.

  • Help! I keep getting AADSTS700051: The response_type 'token' is not enabled for the application. error!

    • This error occurs when you request token (access token) along with id_token without enabling Access tokens on Azure portal app registrations. Simply tick Access tokens checkbox located on top of ID tokens to be able to request token aswell.

  • Help! I keep getting AADSTS7000218: The request body must contain the following parameter: 'client_assertion' or 'client_secret error!

    • This error occurs when you request code along with id_token. You need to add client secret on azure portal app registrations, under Certificates & secrets menu. Afterwards, you need to add openid configuration option like:

      options.ClientSecret = "Value of your secret on azure portal";

  • How can I debug/watch which claims I get before they get mapped?

    • You can add a simple event under openid configuration to debug before mapping like:

      options.Events.OnTokenValidated = (async context =>
  {
  	var claimsFromOidcProvider = context.Principal.Claims.ToList();
  	await Task.CompletedTask;
  });

  • I get page not found error on redirection to https://login.live.com/oauth20_authorize.srf?!

    • Probably you are trying to login with Microsoft account to Azure portal instead of the Azure AD account. Try azure AD user account for login instead of microsoft account. You can also check the answers for this question and this question for more details.

May 2021 Update

  • AddOpenIdConnect: Removed JwtSecurityTokenHandler.DefaultInboundClaimTypeMap.Clear(); and added sub claim mapping in ClaimActions rather than global mapping.
  • Updated AddMicrosoftIdentityWebAppAuthentication to AddMicrosoftIdentityWebApp.
  • Updated OpenIdConnect and AddMicrosoftIdentityWebApp configurations.
  • Obsolete approach moved to third place in the list.