Thread: fyi: possible security bug linking from MS Access

fyi: possible security bug linking from MS Access

From
"Fred Parkinson"
Date:
I am using ms access (XP, aka 2002) to link to a postgres database with
odbc driver 7.02.00.05 and using the ms access facilities
File>Get external data>link tables>ODBC databases().

If I start my app the normal way I am asked to provide a postgres user
and password.

However, if i start Access with the shift key down, so my startup form
doesn't open, delete my table links and relink, I am never asked for my
postgres user and password yet am successfully linked to the postgres
tables and my app behaves normally.  I simply open the startup form and
I am in without needing the postgres user and password.

Fred Parkinson
Grand Canyon Software
510-536-6063
fred@fredrated.com

Re: fyi: possible security bug linking from MS Access

From
Oliver Elphick
Date:
On Mon, 2003-11-17 at 20:28, Fred Parkinson wrote:
> I am using ms access (XP, aka 2002) to link to a postgres database with
> odbc driver 7.02.00.05 and using the ms access facilities
> File>Get external data>link tables>ODBC databases().
>
> If I start my app the normal way I am asked to provide a postgres user
> and password.
>
> However, if i start Access with the shift key down, so my startup form
> doesn't open, delete my table links and relink, I am never asked for my
> postgres user and password yet am successfully linked to the postgres
> tables and my app behaves normally.  I simply open the startup form and
> I am in without needing the postgres user and password.

It sounds as if the server is set to allow open access using "trust"
authentication.  The relevant file on the server is $PGDATA/pg_hba.conf;
read the chapter on client authentication in the PostgreSQL manuals.

--
Oliver Elphick                                Oliver.Elphick@lfix.co.uk
Isle of Wight, UK                             http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver
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