SiteMinder custom authenticator does not work with "Internal with LDAP authentication" directory

When using the SiteMinder authenticator with Confluence 3.5 and a "Internal with LDAP authentication" directory (also called "delegated LDAP authentication"), users cannot log in. The authenticator attempts to retrieve a user that does not exist yet in Confluence.

Workarounds

• The normal "LDAP" directory will work correctly with the Siteminder authenticator.
• If the SiteMinder system is backed by the same LDAP server as Confluence, you can disable the custom authenticator and Confluence users will be able to log in with their LDAP username and password.

Resolution

The updated SiteMinder authenticator (source code hosted on Bitbucket) works properly if you have an LDAP server configured in Confluence in the "delegated authentication" mode.

Follow the instructions on the project overview page to install it with Confluence 3.5.11 or later.