• Tom Lane's avatar
    Use a separate interpreter for each calling SQL userid in plperl and pltcl. · 50595b5f
    Tom Lane authored
    There are numerous methods by which a Perl or Tcl function can subvert
    the behavior of another such function executed later; for example, by
    redefining standard functions or operators called by the target function.
    If the target function is SECURITY DEFINER, or is called by such a
    function, this means that any ordinary SQL user with Perl or Tcl language
    usage rights can do essentially anything with the privileges of the target
    function's owner.
    
    To close this security hole, create a separate Perl or Tcl interpreter for
    each SQL userid under which plperl or pltcl functions are executed within
    a session.  However, all plperlu or pltclu functions run within a session
    still share a single interpreter, since they all execute at the trust
    level of a database superuser anyway.
    
    Note: this change results in a functionality loss when libperl has been
    built without the "multiplicity" option: it's no longer possible to call
    plperl functions under different userids in one session, since such a
    libperl can't support multiple interpreters in one process.  However, such
    a libperl already failed to support concurrent use of plperl and plperlu,
    so it's likely that few people use such versions with Postgres.
    
    Security: CVE-2010-3433
    50595b5f
release-8.3.sgml 160 KB