Re: REFERENCES privilege should not be symmetric (was Re: [GENERAL] Postgres Permissions Article)

Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>

From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
To: Robert Haas <robertmhaas@gmail.com>
Cc: Paul Jungwirth <pj@illuminatedcomputing.com>, PGSQL Mailing List <pgsql-general@postgresql.org>, "pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org" <pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org>
Date: 2017-03-31T17:40:00Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers, pgsql-general
Robert Haas <robertmhaas@gmail.com> writes:
> On Fri, Mar 31, 2017 at 11:29 AM, Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote:
>> The argument for not back-patching a bug fix usually boils down to
>> fear of breaking existing applications, but it's hard to see how
>> removal of a permission check could break a working application ---
>> especially when the permission check is as hard to trigger as this one.
>> How many table owners ever revoke their own REFERENCES permission?

> Sure, but that argument cuts both ways.  If nobody ever does that, who
> will be helped by back-patching this?
> I certainly agree that back-patching this change is pretty low risk.
> I just don't think it has any real benefits.

I think the benefit is reduction of user confusion.  Admittedly, since
Paul is the first person I can remember ever having complained about it,
maybe nobody else is confused.

			regards, tom lane


Commits

  1. For foreign keys, check REFERENCES privilege only on the referenced table.