Setting up Azure AD Saml using Dex server in ARGOCD

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In this blog, we will go through the steps required to configure Azure AD SAML to authenticate and authorize in ARGOCD application which is hosted in any environment and is accessible over a URL. Lets take a look at the setup which is required in Azure AD and argo-cd config.

Pre-requisites:

• Requires an Azure AD account
• Requires ArgoCD setup

Azure AD SAML Enterprise App Auth using Dex

Configure a new Azure AD Enterprise App

1. Go to Enterprise Applications

2. Create New Application > Create your own application

3. Open the newly created application

4. From Users and groups menu, click on Add user/group

5. Go to Single sign-on

6. Click on SAML

7. Edit basic SAML configuration

8. Set Identity URL as:

9. Set remaining fields as:
10. Reply URL: https://<argocd-url>/api/dex/callback
11. Sign on URL: https://<argocd-url>/auth/login
12. Relay State: empty
13. Logout URL: empty
14. Click Save
15. Edit Attributes and Claims, Add New Claim:

16. Fill in the following fields

17. Click Save.
18. Add a group claim

19. Download the SAML signing certificate (Base64)

20. Base64 encodes the contents of the downloaded certificate file, you can check it as:
    cat ArgoCD.cer | base64
21. Copy the Login URL parameter

22. Copy the Login URL as:
    https://login.microsoftonline.com/<ID>/saml2

ARGOCD SETUP

Patch configurations in ARGO-CD config map as:

data:
  url: https://<argocd-url>/
  dex.config: |
    logger:
      level: debug
      format: json
    connectors:
    - type: saml
      id: saml
      name: saml
      config:
        entityIssuer: https://<argocd-url>/api/dex/callback
        ssoURL: https://login.microsoftonline.com/11a1111a-1111-111a-111b-11c1d111e1f1/saml2
        caData: |
        BASE64 ENCODED CRT
        redirectURI: https://<argocd-url>/api/dex/callback
        usernameAttr: email
        emailAttr: email
        groupsAttr: Group

Open the ArgoCD URL and now you would be able to see the SAML login option:

Click on Log In via SAML and add your credentials. You will be successfully logged in.

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