Re: [PATCHES] Doc-patch: PAM authentication fails for local UNIX users

2007-12-28 Thread Bruce Momjian

I have updated the documentation to read:

 If PAM is set up to read filename/etc/shadow/, authentication
 will fail because the PostgreSQL server is started by a non-root
 user.  However, this is not an issue with LDAP or other authentication
 methods.

Thanks.

---

Dhanaraj M wrote:
  
 
  This is the continuation to the discussion that we had in the 
  hacker's list.
  http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2007-08/msg00684.php
 
 
  Here, I like to add some details in 20.2.6. PAM authentication section.
  http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/interactive/auth-methods.html#AUTH-PAM 
 
 
  Can someone review and make changes, if required? Thanks.
  
 
  Eh, those extensions are only valid if you use PAM with a shadow 
  password
  file, no? You shouldn't need root if you use say PAM-with-LDAP?
   
 
  Also, it strikes me that granting the postgres user read access to the 
  shadow file is probably very poor security practice, and not something 
  I would want to recommend without considerable thought. What we should 
  say, rather, is that PAM auth is likely to fail if your PAM is set up 
  to use the shadow file rather than an auth source such as LDAP which 
  does not require privileged file access.
 
 
 Is this change Ok?
 
 
 
 *** client-auth.sgml.orig   Tue Aug 21 16:52:45 2007
 --- client-auth.sgmlTue Aug 21 17:02:52 2007
 ***
 *** 987,992 
 --- 987,1001 
 and the ulink url=http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/pam/;
 systemitem class=osnameSolaris/ PAM Page/ulink.
/para
 +
 +note
 + para
 +  If your PAM is set up to use the shadow file, the PAM authentication
 +  is likely to fail for local UNIX users because the postgresql server
 +  is started by a non-root user. However, this is not an issue
 +  when LDAP or other authentication mechanism is used.
 + /para
 +/note
   /sect2
  /sect1
 
 
 
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-- 
  Bruce Momjian  [EMAIL PROTECTED]http://momjian.us
  EnterpriseDB http://postgres.enterprisedb.com

  + If your life is a hard drive, Christ can be your backup. +

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Re: [PATCHES] Doc-patch: PAM authentication fails for local UNIX users

2007-12-21 Thread Dhanaraj M




This is the continuation to the discussion that we had in the 
hacker's list.

http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2007-08/msg00684.php


Here, I like to add some details in 20.2.6. PAM authentication section.
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/interactive/auth-methods.html#AUTH-PAM 



Can someone review and make changes, if required? Thanks.



Eh, those extensions are only valid if you use PAM with a shadow 
password

file, no? You shouldn't need root if you use say PAM-with-LDAP?
 


Also, it strikes me that granting the postgres user read access to the 
shadow file is probably very poor security practice, and not something 
I would want to recommend without considerable thought. What we should 
say, rather, is that PAM auth is likely to fail if your PAM is set up 
to use the shadow file rather than an auth source such as LDAP which 
does not require privileged file access.




Is this change Ok?



*** client-auth.sgml.orig   Tue Aug 21 16:52:45 2007
--- client-auth.sgmlTue Aug 21 17:02:52 2007
***
*** 987,992 
--- 987,1001 
   and the ulink url=http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/pam/;
   systemitem class=osnameSolaris/ PAM Page/ulink.
  /para
+
+note
+ para
+  If your PAM is set up to use the shadow file, the PAM authentication
+  is likely to fail for local UNIX users because the postgresql server
+  is started by a non-root user. However, this is not an issue
+  when LDAP or other authentication mechanism is used.
+ /para
+/note
 /sect2
/sect1



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Re: [PATCHES] Doc-patch: PAM authentication fails for local UNIX users

2007-12-19 Thread Magnus Hagander
On Tue, Dec 18, 2007 at 12:41:56PM +0530, Dhanaraj M wrote:
 Hi all,
 
 This is the continuation to the discussion that we had in the hacker's 
 list.
 http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2007-08/msg00684.php
 
 
 Here, I like to add some details in 20.2.6. PAM authentication section.
 http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/interactive/auth-methods.html#AUTH-PAM
 
 Can someone review and make changes, if required? Thanks.

Eh, those extensions are only valid if you use PAM with a shadow password
file, no? You shouldn't need root if you use say PAM-with-LDAP?

//Magnus


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Re: [PATCHES] Doc-patch: PAM authentication fails for local UNIX users

2007-12-19 Thread Andrew Dunstan



Magnus Hagander wrote:

On Tue, Dec 18, 2007 at 12:41:56PM +0530, Dhanaraj M wrote:
  

Hi all,

This is the continuation to the discussion that we had in the hacker's 
list.

http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2007-08/msg00684.php


Here, I like to add some details in 20.2.6. PAM authentication section.
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/interactive/auth-methods.html#AUTH-PAM

Can someone review and make changes, if required? Thanks.



Eh, those extensions are only valid if you use PAM with a shadow password
file, no? You shouldn't need root if you use say PAM-with-LDAP?


  


Also, it strikes me that granting the postgres user read access to the 
shadow file is probably very poor security practice, and not something I 
would want to recommend without considerable thought. What we should 
say, rather, is that PAM auth is likely to fail if your PAM is set up to 
use the shadow file rather than an auth source such as LDAP which does 
not require privileged file access.


cheers

andrew

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[PATCHES] Doc-patch: PAM authentication fails for local UNIX users

2007-12-17 Thread Dhanaraj M

Hi all,

This is the continuation to the discussion that we had in the hacker's 
list.

http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2007-08/msg00684.php


Here, I like to add some details in 20.2.6. PAM authentication section.
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/interactive/auth-methods.html#AUTH-PAM

Can someone review and make changes, if required? Thanks.

*** client-auth.sgml.orig   Tue Aug 21 16:52:45 2007
--- client-auth.sgmlTue Aug 21 17:02:52 2007
***
*** 987,992 
--- 987,1001 
and the ulink url=http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/pam/;
systemitem class=osnameSolaris/ PAM Page/ulink.
   /para
+
+note
+ para
+  The local UNIX user authentication is not permitted,
+  because the postgres server is started by a non-root user.
+  In order to enable this functionality, the root user must provide
+  additional permissions to the postgres user (for reading 
/etc/shadow file).

+ /para
+/note
  /sect2
 /sect1


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