How do you implement Azure Active Directory authentication in Spring Boot?

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Step-by-Step Guide to Implement Azure Active Directory Authentication in Spring Boot
  • 1. Register Your Application in Azure AD
  • 2. Add Dependencies in pom.xml
  • 3. Configure Application Properties
    • Example (application.properties):
  • 4. Enable Security Configuration for OAuth 2.0 Login
    • Example Security Configuration:
  • 5. Handle User Authentication and Session
    • Example Controller to Access User Information:
  • 6. Test the Authentication Flow
• Conclusion

Introduction

Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) provides identity and access management services that enable secure authentication for applications and APIs. By integrating Azure AD authentication into a Spring Boot application, you can ensure that only authorized users can access your services. This guide walks you through the process of configuring Azure AD authentication with Spring Boot using OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implement Azure Active Directory Authentication in Spring Boot

1. Register Your Application in Azure AD

Before integrating Azure AD into your Spring Boot application, you need to register the application in the Azure portal. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal.
2. Navigate to Azure Active Directory > App registrations.
3. Click + New registration to register a new application.
4. Provide a name for your app and configure the redirect URI (e.g., http://localhost:8080/login/oauth2/code/azure).
5. Once registered, you will receive an Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID that you'll need to configure your Spring Boot application.
6. In the Certificates & secrets section, create a client secret and note it down, as it will be used for authentication.

2. Add Dependencies in pom.xml

In your Spring Boot project, you will need to add dependencies for Spring Security and OAuth 2.0 to handle authentication. Here are the necessary dependencies:

These dependencies include support for OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect, allowing Spring Boot to communicate with Azure AD.

3. Configure Application Properties

Add the following properties to your application.properties or application.yml file to configure Azure AD as the authentication provider.

Example (application.properties):

• client-id: The Application (client) ID from the Azure portal.
• client-secret: The client secret generated in Azure AD.
• redirect-uri: The URI that Azure will redirect to after successful authentication.
• tenant-id: The Directory (tenant) ID from the Azure portal.
• authorization-uri, token-uri, user-info-uri: These are the default endpoints used for OAuth 2.0 in Azure AD.

4. Enable Security Configuration for OAuth 2.0 Login

In Spring Boot, you can enable OAuth 2.0 login by extending WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter. Here is an example of how to set up security configuration:

Example Security Configuration:

This configuration secures your application and ensures that only authenticated users can access protected resources. The /login endpoint is handled by Spring Security's OAuth2 login mechanism, and any other endpoint will require the user to be authenticated.

5. Handle User Authentication and Session

Spring Boot automatically handles the authentication flow for you. When users visit protected pages, they will be redirected to Azure AD's login page, where they can enter their credentials. After authentication, they will be redirected back to your application.

You can also access the authenticated user’s details using OAuth2AuthenticationToken from the Spring Security context.

Example Controller to Access User Information:

In this example, the OAuth2User contains the user's information fetched from Azure AD, such as their name and email address. The data can be used within the application to personalize the user experience.

6. Test the Authentication Flow

Once everything is set up, run your Spring Boot application. When accessing a secured page, users will be redirected to Azure AD for authentication. After successfully logging in, they will be redirected back to your application and have access to the protected resources.

Conclusion

Integrating Azure Active Directory (AAD) authentication into a Spring Boot application is straightforward with the help of Spring Security and OAuth 2.0. By registering your application in Azure AD, configuring the necessary dependencies and application properties, and securing endpoints with OAuth 2.0 login, you can easily add authentication to your Spring Boot application. This integration ensures that only authorized users can access sensitive data and services, leveraging the power of Azure's identity and access management system.