BUG #8375: pg_hba.conf: Include_dir like in postgresql.conf

hv@tbz-pariv.de writes:

For easier deployment it would be nice to have an include_dir directive in
pg_hba.conf.

This doesn't seem like a remarkably good idea from here, mainly because
entries in pg_hba.conf are critically order-dependent.  Dropping random
entries into a conf.d-like directory could produce unexpected results
--- and in this case, "unexpected result" probably means "security
failure".

regards, tom lane

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On 8. aug. 2013, at 14:39, Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote:

This doesn't seem like a remarkably good idea from here, mainly because
entries in pg_hba.conf are critically order-dependent.  Dropping random
entries into a conf.d-like directory could produce unexpected results
--- and in this case, "unexpected result" probably means "security
failure".

Don't mean to spark or fuel any major discussion on this, but other than seconding that, I'd like to add in that if you need anything that advanced, chances are that you should either look at simplifying (wildcard usernames, etc), look at other authentication-systems (PAM), or set up a build-sytem for pg_hba.

Terje

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On Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 2:39 PM, Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote:

hv@tbz-pariv.de writes:

For easier deployment it would be nice to have an include_dir directive in
pg_hba.conf.

This doesn't seem like a remarkably good idea from here, mainly because
entries in pg_hba.conf are critically order-dependent.  Dropping random
entries into a conf.d-like directory could produce unexpected results
--- and in this case, "unexpected result" probably means "security
failure".

If they are random, yes. You could easliy define them as ordered
though, by strict alphabetical ordering etc.

It's still a pretty decently sized footgun for people though, and I'm
not sure how useful it would actually be. And with the risk of
misconfiguration being a security hole rather than a badly configured
database (which would be the problem with a simliar thing for
postgresql.conf).

Perhaps the OP has a specific usecase to share where this would
actually be both safe and useful?

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

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