Re: Including PL/PgSQL by default

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On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:34:06 -0000
"Greg Sabino Mullane" <greg(at)turnstep(dot)com> wrote:

> There are so many simple ways to "do bad things" /without/ plpgsql, I
> just don't see how the theoretical harm in it being used as an attack
> vector even comes close to the benefits of having it installed by
> default.

Since we are asking for something more than theoretical harm, here is
some practical harm:

postgres=> select usename,usecreatedb,usesuper,usecatupd from pg_user;
usename | usecreatedb | usesuper | usecatupd
- -----------+-------------+----------+-----------
ledgersmb | t | f | f
foo | f | f | f
postgres | t | t | t
(3 rows)

Notice that user foo is not a super user. Now I log into
PostgreSQL and connect to the postgres database (the super users
database) as the non privileged user "foo". The user "foo" in theory
has *zero* rights here accept that he can connect.

psql -U foo postgres

Welcome to psql 8.2.6, the PostgreSQL interactive terminal.

Type: \copyright for distribution terms
\h for help with SQL commands
\? for help with psql commands
\g or terminate with semicolon to execute query
\q to quit

postgres=> create table watchmedie (a text);
CREATE TABLE
postgres=> insert into watchmedie values ( generate_series(1,10000))
postgres->
postgres=> insert into watchmedie values ( generate_series(1,10000));
INSERT 0 10000
postgres=>

In one fell swoop I could crash *any* postgresql database running 8.2.6
or below (I haven't tested this on 8.3).

Sincerely,

Joshua D. Drake

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