Common issues and solutions for SAML authentication.
Error Messages
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Unauthorized | Provider not active | Contact support to activate your provider |
| Login expired | Session timeout or clock drift | Re-initiate SAML login; check server time sync |
| Invalid credentials | Assertion validation failed | See detailed causes below |
Invalid Credentials — Detailed Causes
This error indicates SAML assertion validation failed. Check these items in order:
- Unsigned assertion — Assertions must be signed. Verify signing is enabled in your IdP (see IdP Configuration)
- Signature algorithm mismatch — Gemfury supports SHA-256. If your IdP uses SHA-1, update to SHA-256
- Expired assertion — Assertion timestamp outside validity window. Check clock synchronization
-
Audience mismatch — Entity ID in IdP doesn’t match
https://manage.fury.io/auth/saml/PROVIDER_ID -
Missing email attribute — Assertion must include
emailattribute - Name ID format mismatch — Verify Name ID format matches your Gemfury configuration
- Certificate mismatch — IdP certificate was rotated but metadata wasn’t updated in Gemfury
Configuration Issues
Assertions Not Signed
Gemfury requires signed SAML assertions. In your IdP settings, enable:
- Sign SAML Response
- Sign SAML Assertion
Certificate Mismatch
If your IdP certificate was rotated:
- Download new metadata XML from your IdP
- Update the metadata in Gemfury SSO settings
- Submit for reactivation
Wrong ACS URL or Entity ID
Verify exact match (case-sensitive):
ACS URL: https://manage.fury.io/auth/saml/PROVIDER_ID/callback
Entity ID: https://manage.fury.io/auth/saml/PROVIDER_ID
Missing Email Attribute
Ensure your IdP sends the email attribute in the SAML response. Check attribute mapping in your
IdP configuration.
Clock Drift
A SAML assertion has a time validity window. If authentication fails intermittently, verify that your IdP server time is correct (i.e. NTP-synchronized) and check for possible clock skew between IdP and the rest of your infrastructure.
Debugging Steps
- Check IdP logs for the SAML response sent
- Verify ACS URL and Entity ID match exactly
- Confirm email attribute is included
- Ensure assertions are signed
Limitations
This system is still under active development. At this time, it’s limited as follows:
- One SAML provider per organization
- No Single Logout (SLO) support
- No SCIM provisioning — deprovisioning is manual
- Group mapping sets roles at provisioning only — ongoing sync is not supported
- No SP metadata endpoint — manual IdP configuration required
Getting Help
Contact support via your Dashboard with:
- Your organization name
- Identity Provider name
- IdP configuration screenshots (redact secrets)
- Error messages