Bugtraq mailing list archives
Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords
From: "Jim C. Nasby" <decibel () decibel org>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 17:08:30 -0500
On Wed, Apr 20, 2005 at 06:03:18PM -0400, Tom Lane wrote:
Well, I have no particular problem with offering SHA1 as an alternative hash method for those who find MD5 too weak ... but I still question the value of putting any random salt in the table. AFAICS you would have to send that salt as part of the initial password challenge, which means any potential attacker could find it out even before trying to compromise pg_shadow; so Stephen's argument that there is a useful improvement in protection against precomputation of password hashes still falls down. BTW, one could also ask exactly what threat model Stephen is concerned about. ISTM anyone who can obtain the contents of pg_shadow has *already* broken your database security.
FWIW, I do think there's some benefit to not being able to pre-compute an entire hash table for accounts such as 'postgres' and 'www'. But I agree it would be useful to know the actual threat model. -- Jim C. Nasby, Database Consultant decibel () decibel org Give your computer some brain candy! www.distributed.net Team #1828 Windows: "Where do you want to go today?" Linux: "Where do you want to go tomorrow?" FreeBSD: "Are you guys coming, or what?"
Current thread:
- Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Stephen Frost (Apr 20)
- Re: Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords David F. Skoll (Apr 20)
- Re: Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Stephen Frost (Apr 20)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Tom Lane (Apr 20)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Jim C. Nasby (Apr 20)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Tom Lane (Apr 20)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Bruce Momjian (Apr 20)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Tom Lane (Apr 20)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords David F. Skoll (Apr 21)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Jim C. Nasby (Apr 20)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Jim C. Nasby (Apr 20)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Stephen Frost (Apr 21)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Bruno Wolff III (Apr 22)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Stephen Frost (Apr 22)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Antoine Martin (Apr 22)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted Stephen Frost (Apr 23)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted Antoine Martin (Apr 23)
- Re: Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords David F. Skoll (Apr 20)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Joshua D. Drake (Apr 21)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Stephen Frost (Apr 21)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Lance James (Apr 21)
- Re: [HACKERS] Postgres: pg_hba.conf, md5, pg_shadow, encrypted passwords Tino Wildenhain (Apr 21)