In case when crossRef object to different domain is configured on MS Active Directory for handling referrals and JBoss EAP 7 uses ldap authentication to mgmt console with configured referrals 'throw' then authentication fails for referral users. It is inconsistent with behavior of EAP with another LDAP providers (e.g. Red Hat Directory Server). In correct behavior authentication should pass.

It seems it is caused by thrown LdapReferralException search method of org.jboss.as.domain.management.security.LdapUserSearcherFactory.LdapUserSearcherImpl before it is handled by try-catch block. Stack trace of thrown LdapReferralException:

com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtx.processReturnCode(LdapCtx.java:2975)
com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtx.processReturnCode(LdapCtx.java:2888)
com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtx.searchAux(LdapCtx.java:1846)
com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtx.c_search(LdapCtx.java:1769)
com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtx.c_search(LdapCtx.java:1786)
com.sun.jndi.toolkit.ctx.ComponentDirContext.p_search(ComponentDirContext.java:418)
com.sun.jndi.toolkit.ctx.PartialCompositeDirContext.search(PartialCompositeDirContext.java:396)
com.sun.jndi.toolkit.ctx.PartialCompositeDirContext.search(PartialCompositeDirContext.java:378)
javax.naming.directory.InitialDirContext.search(InitialDirContext.java:286)
javax.naming.directory.InitialDirContext.search(InitialDirContext.java:286)
org.jboss.as.domain.management.security.LdapUserSearcherFactory$LdapUserSearcherImpl.search(LdapUserSearcherFactory.java:125)
org.jboss.as.domain.management.security.LdapUserSearcherFactory$LdapUserSearcherImpl.search(LdapUserSearcherFactory.java:66)
org.jboss.as.domain.management.security.LdapCacheService$NoCacheCache.search(LdapCacheService.java:225)
org.jboss.as.domain.management.security.UserLdapCallbackHandler$LdapCallbackHandler.handle(UserLdapCallbackHandler.java:205)
org.jboss.as.domain.management.security.SecurityRealmService$1.handle(SecurityRealmService.java:178)
org.jboss.as.domain.http.server.security.RealmIdentityManager.verify(RealmIdentityManager.java:162)
org.jboss.as.domain.http.server.security.RealmIdentityManager.verify(RealmIdentityManager.java:141)
io.undertow.security.impl.BasicAuthenticationMechanism.authenticate(BasicAuthenticationMechanism.java:118)
org.jboss.as.domain.http.server.security.AuthenticationMechanismWrapper.authenticate(AuthenticationMechanismWrapper.java:52)
io.undertow.security.impl.SecurityContextImpl$AuthAttempter.transition(SecurityContextImpl.java:233)
io.undertow.security.impl.SecurityContextImpl$AuthAttempter.transition(SecurityContextImpl.java:250)
io.undertow.security.impl.SecurityContextImpl$AuthAttempter.access$100(SecurityContextImpl.java:219)
io.undertow.security.impl.SecurityContextImpl.attemptAuthentication(SecurityContextImpl.java:121)
io.undertow.security.impl.SecurityContextImpl.authTransition(SecurityContextImpl.java:96)
io.undertow.security.impl.SecurityContextImpl.authenticate(SecurityContextImpl.java:89)
io.undertow.security.handlers.AuthenticationCallHandler.handleRequest(AuthenticationCallHandler.java:50)
io.undertow.server.Connectors.executeRootHandler(Connectors.java:202)
io.undertow.server.HttpServerExchange$1.run(HttpServerExchange.java:793)
java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)