DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE v16

EDB Postgres Advanced Server provides support for capturing and analyzing the privilege usage by the users.

There are two ways to capture and analyze the privilege usage:

Using DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE package compatible to Oracle.
Using SQL commands.

See SQL reference for detailed information about the SQL commands:

The DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE package provides an interface for database privilege analysis.

The procedures available in the DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE package are:

Function/procedure	Function or procedure	Return type	Description
`CREATE_CAPTURE`	Procedure	n/a	Creates a policy that specifies the conditions for analyzing privilege use.
`ENABLE_CAPTURE`	Procedure	n/a	Starts capturing the privilege usage for a specific privilege analysis policy.
`DISABLE_CAPTURE`	Procedure	n/a	Stops capturing the privilege use for a specific privilege analysis policy.
`DROP_CAPTURE`	Procedure	n/a	Removes a privilege analysis policy along with the data captured.
`GENERATE_RESULT`	Procedure	n/a	Populates the data dictionary views with the privilege analysis data
`DELETE_RUN`	Procedure	n/a	Deletes a privilege analysis capture run.

This package enables you to create a policy that captures the use of system and object privileges granted to the users. It helps you determine that users are using the privileges or not. After analysis, you can revoke the unused privileges to help reducing the number of excess privilege grants for users.

A super user or the non-super user with role CAPTURE_ADMIN can access the DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE package.

Configure parameters in postgresql.conf file

To enable the feature, set this parameter value greater than zero in postgresql.conf file:

edb_max_capture_privileges_policies = 2

This parameter limits the maximum number of policies at cluster level. By default the value is 0. Set this parameter to greater than zero. Also, only one policy can be enabled per database even if edb_max_capture_privileges_policies value is set to more than 1. Restart the server after changing the value of this parameter.

edb_capture_privileges_hash_entries = 2000

This parameter sets the hash table size for each privilege policy. Whatever value is set, once that many records of privilege use are captured it gets flushed to DBA_USED_PRIVS and DBA_UNUSED_PRIVS system catalogs. Minimum value is 1 and the default value is 2000. Restart the server after changing the value of this parameter.

CREATE_CAPTURE

The CREATE_CAPTURE procedure creates a privilege analysis policy that specifies the conditions for analyzing privilege use. It also, optionally specifies the roles for which privilege use is to be analyzed, and the conditions under which privilege use is to be analyzed.

DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.CREATE_CAPTURE (
    name        IN VARCHAR2,
    description IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    type        IN NUMBER DEFAULT G_DATABASE,
    roles       IN ROLE_NAME_LIST DEFAULT ROLE_NAME_LIST(),
    condition   IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL);

Parameters

name

Name of the privilege analysis policy. A string of size up to 30 characters.

description

Description of the policy up to 1024 characters.

type

Type of the privilege analysis policy. Possible values are:

G_DATABASE — Captures all privilege use in the database, except privileges used by superuser.
G_ROLE — Captures the use of a privilege if the privilege is part of a specified role or list of roles.
G_CONTEXT — Captures the use of a privilege if the context specified by the condition parameter evaluates to true.
G_ROLE_AND_CONTEXT — Captures the use of a privilege if the privilege is part of the specified list of roles and when the condition specified by the condition parameter is true.

roles

The roles whose privileges are to be analyzed. Required if the type is G_ROLE or G_ROLE_AND_CONTEXT.

condition

Boolean expression containing up to 4000 characters. Required if type is G_CONTEXT or G_ROLE_AND_CONTEXT.

ENABLE_CAPTURE

ENABLE_CAPTURE procedure starts the recording of privilege analysis for a specified privilege analysis policy and optionally provides a capture run for this policy. After a policy is enabled, all privilege use under the policy condition is recorded.

DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.ENABLE_CAPTURE (
   name      IN VARCHAR2,
   run_name  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL);

Parameters

name

Name of the privilege analysis policy to be enabled.

run_name

Name of the capture run to associate with this policy, less than 128 characters. Enclose exotic characters in double quotation marks.

DISABLE_CAPTURE

DISABLE_CAPTURE procedure stops the recording of privilege use for a specified privilege analysis policy. When a policy is disabled, privilege use meeting the policy condition is no longer needed.

DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.DISABLE_CAPTURE (
    name  IN VARCHAR2,
    run_name IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    );

Parameters

name

Name of the privilege analysis policy to be disabled.

run_name

Name of the capture run.

DROP_CAPTURE

DROP_CAPTURE procedure removes a privilege analysis policy together with the data recorded. When a policy is removed, all previously recorded privilege use data associated with the policy is deleted.

DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.DROP_CAPTURE (
    name  IN VARCHAR2);

Parameters

name

Name of the privilege analysis policy to be removed.

GENERATE_RESULT

GENERATE_RESULT procedure populates the data dictionary views with the privilege analysis data.

DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.GENERATE_RESULT (
    name         IN VARCHAR2,
    run_name     IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    dependency   IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT NULL /* This is just for redwood compatibility */);

Parameters

name

Name of the privilege analysis policy for which the data dictionary views are populated.

run_name

Name of the capture run associated with the privilege analysis policy. If you skip this parameter, then the records of all the created runs are analyzed. Specify this parameter to analyze the records of specific run.

dependency

This parameter is added for Oracle compatibility. The value is boolean Y (yes) or N (no).

DELETE_RUN

DELETE_RUN procedure deletes a privilege analysis capture run.

DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.DELETE_RUN (
    name      IN VARCHAR2,
    run_name  IN VARCHAR2);

Parameters

name

Name of the privilege analysis policy with which the capture run is associated.

run_name

Name of the capture run.

Examples

To enable the privilege analysis feature, set the parameter to a value greater than zero in postgresql.conf file:

edb_max_capture_privileges_policies = 2

GRANT CAPTURE_ADMIN TO user1;

Create a table:

CREATE TABLE tab1 (a INT);

Policy on database

## Create a privilege analysis policy on the database:
BEGIN
    DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.CREATE_CAPTURE (
        name         => 'policy_on_database',
        type         => DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.G_DATABASE);

    DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.ENABLE_CAPTURE (
        name         => 'policy_on_database');
END;

## Insert data into the table:
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES(1);
SELECT * FROM tab1;

## Disable the policy:
DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.DISABLE_CAPTURE(
    name            => 'policy_on_database');
END;

## Run `GENERATE_RESULT` procedure to populate the dictionary views:
BEGIN
  DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.GENERATE_RESULT(
    name   => 'policy_on_database');
END;

Query the data dictionary views to find used privileges:

SELECT * FROM DBA_USED_PRIVS ORDER BY object_name COLLATE "C", privilege_type COLLATE "C";

Output

|    policy_name     | run_name | object_class |                                      object_name                                      | column_name | application | role_name | privilege_type 
+--------------------+----------+--------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+---------------
| policy_on_database |          | procedure    | dbms_privilege_capture._validate_input_parameter(character varying,character varying) | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | EXECUTE
| policy_on_database |          | procedure    | dbms_privilege_capture.disable_capture(character varying,character varying)           | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | EXECUTE
| policy_on_database |          | table        | public.tab1                                                                           | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | INSERT
| policy_on_database |          | table        | public.tab1                                                                           | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | SELECT
(4 rows)

Query the data dictionary views to find unused privileges:

SELECT * FROM DBA_UNUSED_PRIVS ORDER BY object_name COLLATE "C", privilege_type COLLATE "C";

Output

|    policy_name     | run_name | object_class | object_name | column_name | application | role_name | privilege_type 
+--------------------+----------+--------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+----------------
| policy_on_database |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | DELETE
| policy_on_database |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | REFERENCES
| policy_on_database |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | TRIGGER
| policy_on_database |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | TRUNCATE
| policy_on_database |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | UPDATE
(5 rows)

Drop the policy:

BEGIN
  DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.drop_capture(
    name   => 'policy_on_database');
END;

Query the data dictionary views to check policy and its related data is removed:

SELECT * FROM DBA_PRIV_CAPTURES;

Output

|name  | description | type | enabled | roles | context | run_name 
+------+-------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------
(0 rows)

SELECT * FROM DBA_USED_PRIVS;

Output

| policy_name | run_name | object_class | object_name | column_name | application | role_name | privilege_type 
+-------------+----------+--------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+----------------
(0 rows)

Policy on context

## Create a function:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION func1(i INTEGER) RETURNS INTEGER AS $$
  BEGIN
     RETURN i + 1;
  END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;

## Create a policy on context:
BEGIN
	DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.CREATE_CAPTURE(
		name			=> 'policy_on_db_context',
		type			=> DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.G_CONTEXT,
		condition		=> '1=1');

	DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.ENABLE_CAPTURE(
		name			=> 'policy_on_db_context');
END;

## Access objects:
SELECT func1(1);
DELETE FROM tab1;

## Disable policy:
BEGIN
	DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.DISABLE_CAPTURE(
		name			=> 'policy_on_db_context');
END;

## Run `GENERATE_RESULT` procedure to populate the dictionary views:
BEGIN
  DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.GENERATE_RESULT(
    name   => 'policy_on_db_context');
END;

Query the data dictionary views to find used privileges:

SELECT * FROM DBA_USED_PRIVS ORDER BY object_name COLLATE "C", privilege_type COLLATE "C";

Output

|     policy_name      | run_name | object_class |                                      object_name                                      | column_name | application | role_name | privilege_type 
+----------------------+----------+--------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+----------------
| policy_on_db_context |          | procedure    | dbms_privilege_capture._validate_input_parameter(character varying,character varying) | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | EXECUTE
| policy_on_db_context |          | procedure    | dbms_privilege_capture.disable_capture(character varying,character varying)           | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | EXECUTE
| policy_on_db_context |          | function     | public.func1(integer)                                                                 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | EXECUTE
| policy_on_db_context |          | table        | public.tab1                                                                           | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | DELETE
(4 rows)

Query the data dictionary views to find unused privileges:

SELECT * FROM DBA_UNUSED_PRIVS ORDER BY object_name COLLATE "C", privilege_type COLLATE "C";

Output

|     policy_name      | run_name | object_class | object_name | column_name | application | role_name | privilege_type |
+----------------------+----------+--------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+----------------+
| policy_on_db_context |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | INSERT         |
| policy_on_db_context |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | REFERENCES     |
| policy_on_db_context |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | TRIGGER        |
| policy_on_db_context |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | TRUNCATE       |
| policy_on_db_context |          | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | UPDATE         |
(6 rows)

Drop the policy:

BEGIN
  DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.drop_capture(
    name   => 'policy_on_db_context');
END;

Query the data dictionary views to check policy and its related data is removed:

SELECT * FROM DBA_PRIV_CAPTURES;

Output

| name | description | type | enabled | roles | context | run_name 
+------+-------------+------+---------+-------+---------+----------
(0 rows)

SELECT * FROM DBA_USED_PRIVS;

Output

| policy_name | run_name | object_class | object_name | column_name | application | role_name | privilege_type 
+-------------+----------+--------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+----------------
(0 rows)

Policy on role

## Create a role and grant privileges to role:
CREATE ROLE ROLE1;
GRANT SELECT, UPDATE, DELETE on tab1 to user1;

## Create a privilege analysis policy on role:
BEGIN
	DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.create_capture(
		name			=> 'policy_on_role',
		type			=> DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.G_ROLE,
		roles			=> ROLE_NAME_LIST('role1'));

	DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.enable_capture(
		name			=> 'policy_on_role',
		run_name		=> 'run1');
END;

## Set role and delete data from the table:
SET ROLE role1;
DELETE FROM tab1;
SET ROLE edb;

## Disable the policy:
BEGIN
	DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.disable_capture(
		name			=> 'policy_on_role');
END;

## Run Generate_result procedure to populate the dictionary views:
BEGIN
  DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE.generate_result(
    name   => 'policy_on_role');
END;

Query the data dictionary views to find captured policy information:

SELECT * FROM DBA_PRIV_CAPTURES;

Output

|      name      | description |  type  | enabled |  roles  | context | run_name |
+----------------+-------------+--------+---------+---------+---------+----------+
| policy_on_role |             | G_ROLE | f       | {role1} |         | run1     |
(1 row)

Query the data dictionary views to find used privileges:

SELECT * FROM DBA_USED_PRIVS;

Output

|  policy_name   | run_name | object_class | object_name | column_name | application | role_name | privilege_type |
+----------------+----------+--------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+----------------+
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1 | -           | edb-psql    | role1     | DELETE         |
(1 row)

Query the data dictionary views to find unused privileges:

SELECT * FROM DBA_UNUSED_PRIVS ORDER BY object_name COLLATE "C", role_name, privilege_type COLLATE "C";

Output

|  policy_name   | run_name | object_class |     object_name     | column_name | application | role_name | privilege_type 
+----------------+----------+--------------+---------------------+-------------+-------------+-----------+----------------
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1         | -           | edb-psql    | role1     | SELECT
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1         | -           | edb-psql    | role1     | UPDATE
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1         | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | DELETE
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1         | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | INSERT
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1         | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | REFERENCES
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1         | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | SELECT
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1         | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | TRIGGER
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1         | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | TRUNCATE
| policy_on_role | run1     | table        | public.tab1         | -           | edb-psql    | edb       | UPDATE
(9 rows)

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DBMS_PRIVILEGE_CAPTURE v16

Configure parameters in postgresql.conf file

CREATE_CAPTURE

Parameters

ENABLE_CAPTURE

Parameters

DISABLE_CAPTURE

Parameters

DROP_CAPTURE

Parameters

GENERATE_RESULT

Parameters

DELETE_RUN

Parameters

Examples

Policy on database

Policy on context

Policy on role

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