Handling Azure AD Authentication Issue - User Context Cleared on Access Denied Page
I'm currently developing a C# MVC web application with Azure AD integration for security. Upon user login, a set of claims is added to the user's context, all managed by Azure.
However, I've encountered an issue when a user without a specific role tries to access restricted content. In such cases, an "Access Denied" page is displayed, also controlled by Azure. The problem arises after this "Access Denied" page is shown:
The user context is cleared. The login button reappears. Oddly, if I navigate back from the "Access Denied" page, the user is magically logged in again.
What I've Tried I've reviewed the Azure AD configuration and policies for handling access denied scenarios but haven't found a direct solution. Additionally, I've tried inspecting the browser's network traffic, but it didn't provide insights into the issue.
Expectations I expected that, after a successful login, the user context would persist even when accessing restricted content, and they would be presented with an appropriate access denied message instead of being logged out.
Has anyone else encountered a similar issue or can provide guidance on the recommended approaches to handle this situation?
To fix the issue you are encountering, you need to implement your own access denied page. On this page, you can check to see if the user is already authenticated. If the user is authenticated, you can redirect them to the home page or another page that is accessible to them.
Here is the code i have tried:
public IActionResult AccessDenied()
{
if (User.Identity.IsAuthenticated)
{
// User is authenticated, redirect to a page accessible to authenticated users.
return RedirectToAction("SecurePage", "Home"); // Redirect to a secure page, for example
}
else
{
// User is not authenticated, display the login button.
return View("AccessDenied");
}
}
In this code:
If the user is authenticated (
User.Identity.IsAuthenticatedistrue), it will redirect the user to a page accessible to authenticated users, such as the "SecurePage" action.If the user is not authenticated, it will display the "Access Denied" view
View Page:
@{
ViewBag.Title = "AccessDenied";
}
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Access Denied</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Access Denied</h1>
<p>You do not have permission to access this page.</p>
</body>
</html>
Result
