Re: Security issue with Oracle 8i

Sybrand:

Thanks for your response to my inquiry. I know that the root user can do everything, like deleting all data files, but one thing is making this attack to the database and another is accesing confidential information. I mean that the CEO of the enterprise trust in his unix/oracle administrator, but I don't think that he is happy of knowing that you can see all the information.

If you want to separate tasks I think that could be good not to let access to the root account without a password, for example if you have a password file forcing to provide a password.

Regards,

Pablo Gomez Aguilera
Twins Informatica

Sybrand Bakker <postbus_at_sybrandb.demon.nl> wrote in message news:<73nhcug6q0jbogof3poa4vkl6poofgbs49_at_4ax.com>...
> On 25 Apr 2002 17:01:56 -0700, pgomeza_at_adinet.com.uy (Pablo Gomez)
> wrote:
>
> >Hello:
> >
> > I have a question about security in an Oracle database. As I know
> >when your Unix user belongs to the group "dba" gives you the
> >privileges sysdba or sysoper. Thus you can startup, shutdown the
> >instance (and other tasks). It also lets you connect via "connect / as
> >sysdba" without doing any security check by Oracle than that you
> >belong to the "dba" group. In this way your are connection as Oracle
> >user "sys" and then you get access to all the database objects
> >(tables, views, ...).
> >
> > So I think that the Unix administrator of the server can give any
> >Unix user the group "dba" (including root) and then connect and get
> >access to the database. In this way I don't see separate rights with
> >the Unix administrator and the Oracle administrator.
> >
> > Is this ok? Can I deny access to the Unix administrator, so he must
> >have an Oracle user the access the database?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > Pablo Gomez
> > Twins Informatica
> > Montevideo/Uruguay
>
>
> root by design can already do *everything* including rm-ing your
> precious database files without even connecting ever to the database.
> Apparently you don't trust the person(s) using the root account.
> There are several remarks to this
> - the fact someone is logging in with sysdba privilege is
> automatically tracked in Oracle, not what he/she does
> - you can easily disable all *direct* root access, ie disallow
> everyone *logging in* as root, from all connections, *except* the
> system console
> - all su's to root are tracked by the O/S
> - the ultimate solution of course is to have the person(s) you don't
> trust punished and/or fired. However, no system can be managed without
> putting trust in people.
>
> Regards
>
>
> Sybrand Bakker, Senior Oracle DBA
>
> To reply remove -verwijderdit from my e-mail address
Received on Fri Apr 26 2002 - 16:04:01 CDT