Re: Prevent Root access from database

Billy wrote:

>
> Fine, a hack gets implemented that deny root access to su into oracle
> and do a sqlplus "/ as sysdba". (which begs the question just how the
> hell are you going to start the database instance at boot time if root
> cannot su into oracle?)

I have seen installations that simply require the DBA to be physically present. A real PITA, but lucrative. This was pre-SOX, so I interpreted it as a management my-staff-is-bigger-than-yours exercise.

>
> But seeing as the sensitive data is not encrypted, nothing prevents
> root from running tcpdump and reading all the clear text data being
> delivered to the clients. Nothing prevents root from hacking into
> Oracle processes and memory. Or just simply dumping data directly from
> the physical Oracle datafiles.

Or just waiting for the tapes to fall off the back of the truck. http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/23.86.html#subj2

>
> The problem solution is not "prevent Root access from database" as it
> is totally meaningless solution that does not even address the
> perceived problem.

Agreed. IMO the solution is to audit to something that root for a particular machine cannot easily write to. An even better solution would be to have smart management and reasonable auditing law, but oh well...

jg

--
@home.com is bogus.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050802/news_1b2titan.html