What is the correct format for SAML 2.0 Assertions?

Brad Patton picture Brad Patton · May 25, 2012 · Viewed 24.6k times · Source

We have a customer trying to use ADFS to SSO on to our web application. We are using the ComponentSpace SAML 2.0 library. The assertion being sent to us looks like:

<Assertion ID="_b8a24809-ab6b-4acd-ad6a-8bcb97bb1889" IssueInstant="2012-05-24T13:30:33.917Z" Version="2.0" xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion">
    <Issuer>http://example.com/adfs/services/trust</Issuer>
    <Subject>
        <NameID Format="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:1.1:nameid-format:emailAddress">[email protected]</NameID>
        <SubjectConfirmation Method="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:cm:bearer">
            <SubjectConfirmationData NotOnOrAfter="2012-05-24T13:35:33.920Z" Recipient="https://example.com/default.aspx" />
        </SubjectConfirmation>
    </Subject>
    <Conditions NotBefore="2012-05-24T13:30:33.907Z" NotOnOrAfter="2012-05-24T14:30:33.907Z">
        <AudienceRestriction>
            <Audience>https://example.com</Audience>
        </AudienceRestriction>
    </Conditions>
    <AttributeStatement>
        <Attribute Name="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/emailaddress">
            <AttributeValue>[email protected]</AttributeValue>
        </Attribute>
    </AttributeStatement>
    <AuthnStatement AuthnInstant="2012-05-24T13:30:33.756Z" SessionIndex="_b8a24809-ab6b-4acd-ad6a-8bcb97bb1889">
        <AuthnContext>
                <AuthnContextClassRef>urn:federation:authentication:windows</AuthnContextClassRef>
        </AuthnContext>
    </AuthnStatement>
</Assertion>

The ComponentSpace library is pulling the full SamlResponse from the HTTP post but it reports no Assertions (ie samlResponse.GetAssertions().Count == 0). If I use the ComponentSpace examples it works but I notice all of the elements I build with the ComponentSpace library are prefixed with "saml:" (as I believe it should be).

Should the ComponentSpace library be able to find the Assertion without the saml: prefix or is there a way to configure ADFS to send it correctly?

Answer

Michael Manoochehri picture Michael Manoochehri · May 26, 2012

A correct SAML response should contain namespace-qualified elements

<saml2p:Response Destination="https://www.google.com/a/squaresquare.biz/acs" IssueInstant="2010-08-04T17:47:20.956Z" xmlns:saml2p="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:protocol" InResponseTo="djfnhepndikoonjjkeomgplmkjofobhdbdieihpa" Version="2.0" ID="_bd24b4a3514fd93800d2a43cafc98edb">
  <saml2:Issuer xmlns:saml2="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion" Format="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:nameid-format:entity">http://my.ssodemo.url.demo.google.com/idp/shibboleth</saml2:Issuer>
  <ds:Signature xmlns:ds="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#">
    <ds:SignedInfo>
      <ds:CanonicalizationMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/xml-exc-c14n#"></ds:CanonicalizationMethod>
      <ds:SignatureMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#rsa-sha1"></ds:SignatureMethod>
      <ds:Reference URI="#_bd24b4a3514fd93800d2a43cafc98edb">
        <ds:Transforms>
          <ds:Transform Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#enveloped-signature"></ds:Transform>
          <ds:Transform Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/xml-exc-c14n#">
            <ec:InclusiveNamespaces xmlns:ec="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/xml-exc-c14n#" PrefixList="dssaml2saml2p"></ec:InclusiveNamespaces>
          </ds:Transform>
        </ds:Transforms>
        <ds:DigestMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#sha1"></ds:DigestMethod>
        <ds:DigestValue>m/lUCS3nvfGuSJFKAtIz+ZrfxTU=</ds:DigestValue>
      </ds:Reference>
    </ds:SignedInfo>
    <ds:SignatureValue>PLdYgU9u5KirVrMHNSwYvk6fQ401dMbpuiDXpapKf0eOKC6pN3g7tnTEzvfOaXhkDNXVmGN+lXQ6iUDppWpdO2MbvPVZabOBPU1aAO+CWI53ciC0rYsxpFzQLLMC/7x9Wk7VFFmYEecxAJV+lTWvp8ZKXvwqZbhiTO/23EC0xconGhnwSvKjJWQuLnMMaFWSjDFYyzgsp34cR7aX/eqhhJyA/rr2uFdmgEdagAl+/17ppgHgthgK+PJtX16AALtsoXonv6uybRCX/YiDRvM1VsdwusVq5tXh9V+bTMZcgi/3Eh+Em/OZp0En8pqOngvL19U4LfqG0yJZjoDGkpHuhA==</ds:SignatureValue>
    <ds:KeyInfo>
      <ds:X509Data>
        <ds:X509Certificate>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...etc.etc</ds:X509Certificate>
      </ds:X509Data>
    </ds:KeyInfo>
  </ds:Signature>
  <saml2p:Status>
    <saml2p:StatusCode Value="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:status:Success"></saml2p:StatusCode>
  </saml2p:Status>
  <saml2:Assertion xmlns:saml2="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion" Version="2.0" IssueInstant="2010-08-04T17:47:20.956Z" ID="_73fe28bcbb68e93df954d8e2f25097b1">
    <saml2:Issuer Format="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:nameid-format:entity">http://my.ssodemo.url.demo.google.com/idp/shibboleth</saml2:Issuer>
    <saml2:Subject>
      <saml2:NameID Format="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:1.1:nameid-format:unspecified">my_username</saml2:NameID>
      <saml2:SubjectConfirmation Method="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:cm:bearer">
        <saml2:SubjectConfirmationData NotOnOrAfter="2010-08-04T17:52:20.956Z" InResponseTo="djfnhepndikoonjjkeomgplmkjofobhdbdieihpa" Recipient="https://www.google.com/a/squaresquare.biz/acs" Address="172.24.6.38"></saml2:SubjectConfirmationData>
      </saml2:SubjectConfirmation>
    </saml2:Subject>
    <saml2:Conditions NotOnOrAfter="2010-08-04T17:52:20.956Z" NotBefore="2010-08-04T17:47:20.956Z">
      <saml2:AudienceRestriction>
        <saml2:Audience>google.com</saml2:Audience>
      </saml2:AudienceRestriction>
    </saml2:Conditions>
    <saml2:AuthnStatement SessionIndex="f306dd2bff4e9b3ba9218bd70fbaa87404d38a4c79547ac1edc9436a9f222213" AuthnInstant="2010-08-04T17:47:20.953Z">
      <saml2:SubjectLocality Address="172.24.6.38"></saml2:SubjectLocality>
      <saml2:AuthnContext>
        <saml2:AuthnContextClassRef>urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:ac:classes:PasswordProtectedTransport</saml2:AuthnContextClassRef>
      </saml2:AuthnContext>
    </saml2:AuthnStatement>
  </saml2:Assertion>
</saml2p:Response>