GlobalProtect
Default System Browser for SAML Authentication
Table of Contents
Default System Browser for SAML Authentication
Software Support: Starting with GlobalProtect™
app 5.2 with Content Release version 8284-6139 or later and running
PAN-OS 8.1.17, 9.0.11, 9.1.6, and 10.0.0 releases. If GlobalProtect
app 5.1.x or an earlier release is running, the app will open an
embedded browser in the GlobalProtect app.
OS Support:
Windows (requires Windows Installer [Msiexec] setting changes),
macOS (requires property lists [plists] changes), Linux (XML file changes),
iOS (requires MDM setting changes), and Android (requires MDM setting changes)
Browser
Support: Windows (Chrome, Edge, Internet Explorer, and Firefox),
macOS (Safari, Chrome, and Firefox), Android (Chrome), iOS (Safari),
and Linux (Firefox and Chrome)
If you have configured the
GlobalProtect portal to authenticate end users through Security
Assertion Markup Language (SAML) authentication, end users can now
connect to the app or other SAML-enabled applications without having
to re-enter their credentials, for a seamless single sign-on (SSO)
experience. End users can benefit from using the default system
browser for SAML authentication because they can leverage the same
login for GlobalProtect with their saved user credentials on the
default system browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
In
addition, on any browser that supports the Web Authentication (WebAuthn) API,
you can use the Univeral 2nd Factor (U2F) security tokens such as
YubiKeys for multi-factor authentication (MFA) to identify providers
(ldPs) such as Onelogin or Okta.
- Change the pre-deployed settings,
on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, and iOS endpoints to use
the default system browser for SAML authentication.You must set the pre-deployed settings on the end user endpoints before you can enable the default system browser for SAML authentication. GlobalProtect retrieves these entries only once, when the GlobalProtect app initializes.If there is no pre-deployed value specified on the end users’ Windows or macOS endpoints when using the default system browser for SAML authentication, the Use Default Browser for SAML Authentication option is set to Yes in the portal configuration, and users upgrade the app from release 5.0.x or release 5.1.x to release 5.2.0 for the first time, the app will open an embedded browser instead of the default system browser. After users connect to the GlobalProtect app and the Use Default Browser for SAML Authentication option is set to Yes in the portal configuration, the app will open the default system browser on Windows and macOS endpoints at the next login.If the default browser value is set to Yes in the pre-deployed setting of the client machine and the Use Default Browser for SAML Authentication option is set to No in the portal configuration, end users will not have the best user experience. The app will open the default system browser for SAML authentication for the first time. Because the default browser values differ between the client machine and the portal, the app detects a mismatch and opens an embedded browser at the next login.The Use Default Browser for SAML Authentication option of the Globalprotect portal and the pre-deployed settings in the end user machine must have the same value to provide the best user experience.
- Set up SAML authentication to
authenticate end users.In order for the default system browser for SAML authentication to not open multiple tabs for each connection, we recommend that you configure an authentication override. For more information, see Cookie Authentication on the Portal or Gateway.
- Enable the GlobalProtect app so that end users can leverage
the same login for GlobalProtect and their default system browser
for SAML authentication.
- Select .
- Select Yes to enable the GlobalProtect app
to open the default system browser for SAML authentication.If single-sign-on (SSO) is enabled, we recommend that you disable it. Set Use Single Sign-On (Windows) or Use Single Sign-On (macOS) to No to disable single sign-on when using the default system browser for SAML authentication.
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- Click OK twice.
- Commit the configuration.
- Verify that end users can successfully authenticate to
the ldP using their saved credentials.
- Select Refresh Connection, Connect,
or Enable on the GlobalProtect app to initiate
the connection.A new tab on the default browser of the system will open for SAML authentication.
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- Login using the username and password to authenticate
on the ldP. For example:
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- After end users can successfully authenticate on the
ldP, click Open GlobalProtect.
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- Connect to the GlobalProtect app or other SAML-enabled
applications without re-entering the user credentials.
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- Select Refresh Connection, Connect,
or Enable on the GlobalProtect app to initiate
the connection.
