Re: Security note: MS SQL is current worm vector - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Lamar Owen
Subject Re: Security note: MS SQL is current worm vector
Date
Msg-id 200111260055.TAA31251@www.wgcr.org
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: Security note: MS SQL is current worm vector  (Lincoln Yeoh <lyeoh@pop.jaring.my>)
List pgsql-hackers
On Sunday 25 November 2001 03:35 am, Lincoln Yeoh wrote:
> Fortunately most self compiled Postgresql installations don't have remote
> access enabled (I have long assumed that on most Unix or Unixlike systems
> local users = root users, so postgresql's lack of local user security by
> default isn't that big an issue).

> I have no experience with prepackaged Postgresql installations.

The RPMset ships with TCP/IP socket listening off by default.  I've had more 
questions on 'why isn't it turned on by default like it was in 7.0' than any 
other single subject. To all who asked -- _this_ is why.

However, since postmaster doesn't start or run as root, a compromise of 
postmaster isn't going to result in catastrophic remote root.  At worst your 
database is compromised -- which is bad, but not as bad as your machine being 
a stepping-stone for a DDoS.

This is, IMHO, one of the worst things about NT 'services'  -- they have 
entirely too many rights in the filesystem.
-- 
Lamar Owen
WGCR Internet Radio
1 Peter 4:11


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