Re: BUG #18281: Superuser can rename the schema with the prefix "pg_" (Applies to all versions of postgresql) - Mailing list pgsql-bugs

From David G. Johnston
Subject Re: BUG #18281: Superuser can rename the schema with the prefix "pg_" (Applies to all versions of postgresql)
Date
Msg-id CAKFQuwZWdpUZ7Q_O8zrc3Hge8HiJ95mpVYtjJTtKkC-K=URjvQ@mail.gmail.com
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In response to BUG #18281: Superuser can rename the schema with the prefix "pg_" (Applies to all versions of postgresql)  (PG Bug reporting form <noreply@postgresql.org>)
Responses Re: BUG #18281: Superuser can rename the schema with the prefix "pg_" (Applies to all versions of postgresql)  (Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>)
List pgsql-bugs
On Wednesday, January 10, 2024, PG Bug reporting form <noreply@postgresql.org> wrote:
The following bug has been logged on the website:

Bug reference:      18281
Logged by:          Maciej Szeliga
Email address:      szyjek9302@gmail.com
PostgreSQL version: 16.1
Operating system:   centos 8
Description:       

Hi,
I renamed the schema pg_toast
moja=# alter schema pg_toast rename to x_pg_toast
moja-# ;
ALTER SCHEMA

and can't undo it because :

moja=# alter schema x_pg_toast rename to pg_toast;
ERROR: unacceptable schema name "pg_toast"
DETAIL: The prefix "pg_" is reserved for system schemas.

I think this is a serious problem that should be fixed by developers. The
superuser should not be able to rename system schemas.

This isn’t a bug - there is very little effort spent on trying to prevent the superuser from doing stuff, even stuff that directly breaks their system.

I do agree that there seems to be some room for improvement here, at least as far as recovering from the initial bad decision goes.  Seems like there should be a way, maybe with the alter catalogs GUC, to bypass the error.

David J. 

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