saml okta redirect idp fails - saml

Question

I have created a SAML 2.0 App on okta and have finished all the configurations. I then attempt to do an authorization from my application, by doing a redirect to the okta idp ->
http://www.okta.com/(okta created token)?SAMLRequest=(encoded saml xml)
The redirect returns a 404. When I go to my admin okta console I don't see any logs for the failed attempt, which i guess makes sense since it is returning a 404, but i don't know how to figure out what is causing the 404.
Is there a way to figure out what is causing the issue?

Answer 1

Install SAML tracer browser extensions and try it again to confirm the SAML Response is being decoded correctly.

Answer 2

To address your question "Is there a way to figure out what is causing the issue?", I have repeated your SAML 2.0 authentication steps suggested by your post.
The following responses and answer will help you to "figure out what is causing the issue".
(1) Quote your post "I have created a SAML 2.0 App on okta and have finished all the configurations. I then attempt to do an authorization from my application, by doing a redirect to the okta idp ->
http://www.okta.com/(okta created token)?SAMLRequest=(encoded saml xml)"
Response:
(I) I have created a SAML 2.0 SP App on okta and have finished all the configurations as you did.
(II) I then attempt to do an authorization from my SAML SP application, by doing a redirect to the okta idp as you did.
(III) Submit the username/password of local Okta user account (e.g., john.doe#example.com) to proceed with SAML authentication.
(2) Quote your post "The redirect returns a 404. When I go to my admin okta console I don't see any logs for the failed attempt, which i guess makes sense since it is returning a 404, but i don't know how to figure out what is causing the 404."
Response:
(I) In my experiment, the redirect returns the following error message instead of a 404 error.
Sorry, you can't access SAML 2.0 SP demo because you are not assigned this app in Okta.
If you're wondering why this is happening, please contact your administrator.
If it's any consolation, we can take you to your Okta home page.
(II) Then "I go to my admin okta console" as suggested by your post,
navigate to Reports > System Log, I saw the log below.
Event Info Targets
User attempted unauthorized access to app SAML 2.0 SP demo (AppInstance)
FAILURE :
(3) Quote your question "Is there a way to figure out what is causing the issue?"
Answer:
I summarize the four (4) potential root causes of your SAML authentication failure. The top #1 potential root cause is that you uploaded the wrong okta IdP metadata file into your SAML 2.0 SP app server (see the detailed description below).
(I) Potential Issue #1:
The root cause of my issue is that my local okta user account was NOT assigned to access this SAML 2.0 App.
Resolution:
(a) Navigate to Applications > SAML 2.0 App, then click Assign > Assign to People,
(b) On the pop-up dialog box, select the local Okta user accounts (e.g., John Doe (john.doe#example.com)), click Assign, click Save and Go Back, then click Done.
(c) Repeated the above SAML 2.0 authentication steps again, I was redirected back and logged in to SAML 2.0 App successfully.
(II) Potential Issue #2:
Three (3) potential root causes of this issue are that
(a) you did NOT fill in all the correct SAML SP information of your SAML 2.0 SP app on okta.
(b) or you did NOT upload the okta IdP metadata file into your SAML 2.0 SP app server
(c) or you uploaded the wrong okta IdP metadata file into your SAML 2.0 SP app server (this is the highest probability for bringing your 404 failure, because unlike most of SAML IdPs which create only one IdP metadata file for all SAML SP apps, okta create different IdP metadata files for different SAML SP apps).
Resolution:
Regarding to root cause (II.a): You need to ensure that the following SAML SP information should be the exactly the same as the SAML SP metadata of your SAML 2.0 SP app when you create new SAML 2.0 app.
Single sign on URL should come from your SAML SP metadata, e.g.,
<md:AssertionConsumerService Binding="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:bindings:HTTP-POST" Location="https://your-saml-sp-app-URL/SAML2/POST" index="1"/>
Audience URI (SP Entity ID) should also come from your SAML SP metadata, e.g.,
<md:EntityDescriptor xmlns:md="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:metadata" ID="_random-string" entityID="https://your-saml-sp-app-URL/SAML2/Metadata">)
The sample SAML Settings of SAML 2.0 SP app on okta
Navigate to Applications > your SAML 2.0 App > general > SAML Settings
Single Sign On URL https://your-saml-sp-app-URL/SAML2/POST (i.e., your SAML SP AssertionConsumerService)
Recipient URL https://your-saml-sp-app-URL/SAML2/POST (i.e., your SAML SP AssertionConsumerService)
Destination URL https://your-saml-sp-app-URL/SAML2/POST (i.e., your SAML SP AssertionConsumerService)
Audience Restriction https://your-saml-sp-app-URL/SAML2/Metadata (i.e., your SAML SP entity ID)
Default Relay State
Name ID Format Unspecified
Response Signed
Assertion Signature Signed
Signature Algorithm RSA_SHA256
Digest Algorithm SHA256
Assertion Encryption Unencrypted
SAML Single Logout Disabled
authnContextClassRef PasswordProtectedTransport
Honor Force Authentication Yes
SAML Issuer ID http://www.okta.com/${org.externalKey}
Regarding to root causes (II.b) and (II.c): You need to upload the correct okta IdP metadata into your SAML 2.0 SP app server.
Note that okta creates different okta IdP metadata files for your different SAML 2.0 SP apps.
Navigate to Applications > your SAML 2.0 App > Sign On
Identity Provider metadata is available if this application supports dynamic configuration.
Click Identity Provider metadata to download the okta IdP metadata for your SAML 2.0 SP app.
Log in to your SAML 2.0 SP app, upload the okta IdP metadata into your SAML 2.0 SP app, and then complete the configuration to store the okta IdP information on your SAML 2.0 SP app server.