Re: Thoughts on the location of configuration files

Tom Lane wrote:
> 
> Lamar Owen <lamar.owen@wgcr.org> writes:
> >> Seems to me that someone who thinks the executables should be root-owned
> >> is likely to think the same of the config files.
> 
> > Sorry to disappoint you :-).
> > ...
> > However, IMHO, for best security, the executables do need to be root owned.
> 
> Or at least not owned/writable by the postgres user.  Sure, that seems
> like a good idea for a high-security installation.  But I always thought
> the motivation for that rule was to prevent someone who'd gained some
> control of the program (eg via a buffer-overrun exploit) from expanding
> his exploit by overwriting the executables with malicious code.  If the
> config files can be overwritten by the postgres user, then you still
> have an avenue for an attacker to expand his privileges.  Example: he
> can trivially become postgres superuser after altering pg_hba.conf.

One of the nice features of putting configuration files in /etc
instead of /var is that some people like to mount the root
filesystem (non-/var directories) read-only on a disc that is
physically jumpered read-only, or some other read-only media. Its an
attempt to prevent buffer exploits from modifying executables and
configuration files, even if root is achieved. Of course, it
wouldn't stop someone with destroying anything in /var, but it at
least limits the potential damage in some meaningful way.

Mike Mascari
mascarm@mascari.com