feat(ldap): Allow to search one user by one of its LDAP attribute

apps/user_ldap/lib/IUserLDAP.php

@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
  */
 namespace OCA\User_LDAP;
 
+use OCP\LDAP\Exceptions\MultipleUsersReturnedException;
+
 interface IUserLDAP {
 
 	//Functions used by LDAPProvider
@@ -32,4 +34,14 @@ public function getNewLDAPConnection($uid);
 	 * @return string|false with the username
 	 */
 	public function dn2UserName($dn);
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetches one user from LDAP based on a filter or a custom attribute and search term.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $attribute The LDAP attribute name to search against (e.g., 'mail', 'cn', 'uid').
+	 * @param string $searchTerm The search term to match against the attribute. Will be escaped for LDAP filter safety.
+	 * @return string|null Returns the username if found in LDAP using the configured LDAP filter, or null if no user is found.
+	 * @throws MultipleUsersReturnedException if multiple users have been found (search query should not allow this)
+	 */
+	public function getUserFromCustomAttribute(string $attribute, string $searchTerm): ?string;
 }

apps/user_ldap/lib/LDAPProvider.php

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use OCA\User_LDAP\User\DeletedUsersIndex;
 use OCP\GroupInterface;
 use OCP\IGroupManager;
+use OCP\IUser;
 use OCP\IUserManager;
 use OCP\LDAP\IDeletionFlagSupport;
 use OCP\LDAP\ILDAPProvider;
@@ -29,15 +30,15 @@ class LDAPProvider implements ILDAPProvider, IDeletionFlagSupport {
 	 * @throws \Exception if user_ldap app was not enabled
 	 */
 	public function __construct(
-		IUserManager $userManager,
+		private IUserManager $userManager,
 		IGroupManager $groupManager,
 		private Helper $helper,
 		private DeletedUsersIndex $deletedUsersIndex,
 		private LoggerInterface $logger,
 	) {
 		$userBackendFound = false;
 		$groupBackendFound = false;
-		foreach ($userManager->getBackends() as $backend) {
+		foreach ($this->userManager->getBackends() as $backend) {
 			$this->logger->debug('instance ' . get_class($backend) . ' user backend.', ['app' => 'user_ldap']);
 			if ($backend instanceof IUserLDAP) {
 				$this->userBackend = $backend;
@@ -301,4 +302,12 @@ public function getMultiValueUserAttribute(string $uid, string $attribute): arra
 		$connection->writeToCache($key, $values);
 		return $values;
 	}
+
+	public function findOneUserByAttributeValue(string $attribute, string $searchTerm): ?IUser {
+		$userId = $this->userBackend->getUserFromCustomAttribute($attribute, $searchTerm);
+		if (!$userId) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		return $this->userManager->get($userId);
+	}
 }

apps/user_ldap/lib/User_LDAP.php

@@ -16,21 +16,23 @@
 use OCA\User_LDAP\User\User;
 use OCP\Accounts\IAccountManager;
 use OCP\IUserBackend;
+use OCP\LDAP\Exceptions\MultipleUsersReturnedException;
 use OCP\Notification\IManager as INotificationManager;
 use OCP\User\Backend\ICountMappedUsersBackend;
 use OCP\User\Backend\ILimitAwareCountUsersBackend;
 use OCP\User\Backend\IPropertyPermissionBackend;
 use OCP\User\Backend\IProvideEnabledStateBackend;
 use OCP\UserInterface;
+use Override;
 use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;
 
 class User_LDAP extends BackendUtility implements IUserBackend, UserInterface, IUserLDAP, ILimitAwareCountUsersBackend, ICountMappedUsersBackend, IProvideEnabledStateBackend, IPropertyPermissionBackend {
 	public function __construct(
 		Access $access,
-		protected INotificationManager $notificationManager,
-		protected UserPluginManager $userPluginManager,
-		protected LoggerInterface $logger,
-		protected DeletedUsersIndex $deletedUsersIndex,
+		protected readonly INotificationManager $notificationManager,
+		protected readonly UserPluginManager $userPluginManager,
+		protected readonly LoggerInterface $logger,
+		protected readonly DeletedUsersIndex $deletedUsersIndex,
 	) {
 		parent::__construct($access);
 	}
@@ -684,4 +686,25 @@ public function canEditProperty(string $uid, string $property): bool {
 			default => true,
 		};
 	}
+
+	#[Override]
+	public function getUserFromCustomAttribute(string $attribute, string $searchTerm): ?string {
+		$searchTerm = $this->access->escapeFilterPart($searchTerm);
+		$attribute = $this->access->escapeFilterPart($attribute);
+
+		$filter = "($attribute=$searchTerm)";
+
+		$records = $this->access->searchUsers($filter, ['dn']);
+		if (count($records) === 1) {
+			$ldapUser = $this->access->userManager->get($records[0]['dn'][0]);
+			return $ldapUser->getUsername();
+		} elseif (count($records) > 1) {
+			$this->logger->error(
+				'Multiple users found for filter: ' . $filter,
+				['app' => 'user_ldap']
+			);
+			throw new MultipleUsersReturnedException();
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
 }

apps/user_ldap/lib/User_Proxy.php

@@ -11,27 +11,29 @@
 use OCA\User_LDAP\User\OfflineUser;
 use OCA\User_LDAP\User\User;
 use OCP\IUserBackend;
+use OCP\LDAP\Exceptions\MultipleUsersReturnedException;
 use OCP\Notification\IManager as INotificationManager;
 use OCP\User\Backend\ICountMappedUsersBackend;
 use OCP\User\Backend\IGetDisplayNameBackend;
 use OCP\User\Backend\ILimitAwareCountUsersBackend;
 use OCP\User\Backend\IPropertyPermissionBackend;
 use OCP\User\Backend\IProvideEnabledStateBackend;
 use OCP\UserInterface;
+use Override;
 use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;
 
 /**
  * @template-extends Proxy<User_LDAP>
  */
 class User_Proxy extends Proxy implements IUserBackend, UserInterface, IUserLDAP, ILimitAwareCountUsersBackend, ICountMappedUsersBackend, IProvideEnabledStateBackend, IGetDisplayNameBackend, IPropertyPermissionBackend {
 	public function __construct(
-		private Helper $helper,
+		Helper $helper,
 		ILDAPWrapper $ldap,
 		AccessFactory $accessFactory,
-		private INotificationManager $notificationManager,
-		private UserPluginManager $userPluginManager,
-		private LoggerInterface $logger,
-		private DeletedUsersIndex $deletedUsersIndex,
+		private readonly INotificationManager $notificationManager,
+		private readonly UserPluginManager $userPluginManager,
+		private readonly LoggerInterface $logger,
+		private readonly DeletedUsersIndex $deletedUsersIndex,
 	) {
 		parent::__construct($helper, $ldap, $accessFactory);
 	}
@@ -437,4 +439,19 @@ public function getDisabledUserList(?int $limit = null, int $offset = 0, string
 	public function canEditProperty(string $uid, string $property): bool {
 		return $this->handleRequest($uid, 'canEditProperty', [$uid, $property]);
 	}
+
+	#[Override]
+	public function getUserFromCustomAttribute(string $attribute, string $searchTerm): ?string {
+		$this->setup();
+		$user = null;
+		foreach ($this->backends as $backend) {
+			$fetchUser = $backend->getUserFromCustomAttribute($attribute, $searchTerm);
+			// if we found a different user, no need to continue
+			if ($user !== null && $fetchUser !== null && $fetchUser !== $user) {
+				throw new MultipleUsersReturnedException('Multiple users found for custom attribute search');
+			}
+			$user = $fetchUser; // may be null
+		}
+		return $user;
+	}
 }

lib/public/LDAP/Exceptions/MultipleUsersReturnedException.php

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Nextcloud GmbH and Nextcloud contributors
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+namespace OCP\LDAP\Exceptions;
+
+use OCP\AppFramework\Attribute\Consumable;
+
+/**
+ * Exception for a ldap search that unexpectedly returns multiple users.
+ *
+ * @since 34.0.0
+ */
+#[Consumable(since: '34.0.0')]
+class MultipleUsersReturnedException extends \Exception {
+}

lib/public/LDAP/ILDAPProvider.php

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 use LDAP\Connection;
 use OCP\AppFramework\Attribute\Consumable;
+use OCP\IUser;
+use OCP\LDAP\Exceptions\MultipleUsersReturnedException;
 
 /**
  * Interface ILDAPProvider
@@ -154,4 +156,15 @@ public function getUserAttribute(string $uid, string $attribute): ?string;
 	 * @since 22.0.0
 	 */
 	public function getMultiValueUserAttribute(string $uid, string $attribute): array;
+
+	/**
+	 * Search for a single user in LDAP based on one attribute.
+	 *
+	 * @param non-empty-string $attribute
+	 * @param non-empty-string $searchTerm
+	 * @return IUser|null Returns a IUser if found in LDAP using the configured attribute and search term.
+	 * @throws MultipleUsersReturnedException If multiple users have been found. The search attribute/term should not allow this.
+	 * @since 34.0.0
+	 */
+	public function findOneUserByAttributeValue(string $attribute, string $searchTerm): ?IUser;
 }