BUG #10680 - ldapbindpasswd leaks to postgresql log

Hello,

Attached is a proposed patch for BUG #10680.

It's a simple fix to the problem of the ldapbindpasswd leaking in
clear text to the postgresql log. The patch simply removes the raw
pg_hba.conf line from the log message, but retains the log line number
to assist admins in troubleshooting.

The patch is against the master branch and compiles/tests green.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to get this worked
into the next (or perhaps current?) commit fest. This is a critical
issue for us to meet government accreditation (security) requirements.

Thanks,

Steve

Steven Siebert <smsiebe(at)gmail(dot)com> writes:
> Attached is a proposed patch for BUG #10680.

> It's a simple fix to the problem of the ldapbindpasswd leaking in
> clear text to the postgresql log. The patch simply removes the raw
> pg_hba.conf line from the log message, but retains the log line number
> to assist admins in troubleshooting.

You haven't exactly explained why this is a problem. The proposed patch
would impede diagnosing of many other problems, so it's not going to get
committed without a thoroughly compelling rationale.

Hint: "I don't store my postmaster log securely" is not compelling.
We've been over that ground before; there are far too many reasons
why access to the postmaster log is a potential security hazard
to justify concluding that this particular one is worse.

regards, tom lane

On Wed, Jun 18, 2014 at 4:50 AM, Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us> wrote:

> Steven Siebert <smsiebe(at)gmail(dot)com> writes:
> > Attached is a proposed patch for BUG #10680.
>
> > It's a simple fix to the problem of the ldapbindpasswd leaking in
> > clear text to the postgresql log. The patch simply removes the raw
> > pg_hba.conf line from the log message, but retains the log line number
> > to assist admins in troubleshooting.
>
> You haven't exactly explained why this is a problem. The proposed patch
> would impede diagnosing of many other problems, so it's not going to get
> committed without a thoroughly compelling rationale.
>

Yes, properly logging that was intentional, in commit
7f49a67f954db3e92fd96963169fb8302959576e.

Hint: "I don't store my postmaster log securely" is not compelling.
> We've been over that ground before; there are far too many reasons
> why access to the postmaster log is a potential security hazard
> to justify concluding that this particular one is worse.
>

Yeah, and the password is already in cleartext in a file next to it.

If we actually feel the need to get rid of it, we should do a better job.
Such as actively blanking it out with something else. Since we know the
password (we parsed it out), it shouldn't be impossible to actually blank
out *just the password*, without ruining all the other diagnostics usage of
it.

--
Magnus Hagander
Me: http://www.hagander.net/
Work: http://www.redpill-linpro.com/