Re: PostgreSQL Trusted Startup

On 12/20/10 11:12 AM, Kenneth Buckler wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am investigating security requirements for configuring a PostgreSQL
> database on a Linux system.
> One of the security requirements our organization would like to
> implement is "trusted startup", in that PostgreSQL would verify the
> authenticity of the binaries and configuration files before making the
> database available to users.  This would enable the database to detect
> if the system has possibly been compromised.
> Since this is a Linux system, I could keep a list of known good MD5
> checksums and compare the checksums prior to startup by editing the
> init script.  The list would of course need to be updated any time I
> make a configuration change or apply a patch.
> Is there an alternative method of implementing such a requirement?
> Possibly one already incorporated into PostgreSQL?

I would look into selinux.   lock it down with this, and it will be much
harder to compromise.