User Privileges using dblink

From: "Kreißl, Karsten" <KREISSL(at)his(dot)de>
To: <pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: User Privileges using dblink
Date: 2004-06-22 09:50:22
Message-ID: E8AEFF3401E82E4699359F1EBBED6A210314166D@exchange.his.de
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Hello,

we want use dblink to connect several databases in a client/server environment. Connection from local users to the remote databases should be possible only for privileged users. We tried a solution with dblink, embedding this command in a view, like this:

create view inst as select * from dblink('host=pollux port=5432 dbname=cob_int user=his_int password=#integration#', .....

This solution is insecure, because login and password is readable for everyone.

We tried to call dblink without username and login, but it fails,i.e.

create view inst as select * from dblink('host=pollux port=5432 dbname=cob_int', .....

What we are searching for, is a solution which uses the current login information (user and password).

The second problem with dblink is a security hole. If you have a table without any grants for the current user, this user can create a view to circumvent the table privileges, i.e..

Current user is svawork (not a superuser!). Current database is sva4_int1. Table inst has privileges only for a user sva. If user svawork tried to read from inst it fails. This is ok.
If svawork create a view like:

create view myinst as select * from dblink('dbname=sva4_int1','select .... from inst') as (.......);

The view connect not to a remote database. It uses the local database.
You can read the data from table inst without any restrictions! (Select * from myinst ...)
This problem could also be resolved, if dblink uses the current login information.

Any solutions welcome.

Karsten

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