Dropping System Stored Procedures

When a user database is created, there are 31 system stored procedures
created. In one of the SQL Server security auditing questions/feedback
session, it was suggested to drop all the system stored procedures from the
user database from security perspective. I have not found or seen any comment
on the web on this. Even Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Security Best Practices
does not state on this. Does someone has some comment on this?
> When a user database is created, there are 31 system stored procedures
> created. In one of the SQL Server security auditing questions/feedback
> session, it was suggested to drop all the system stored procedures from
> the
> user database from security perspective.
Why? System databases that are stored in master will still execute in the
context of the database they are called from.
A
|||Also if you drop your system stored procedures and your system does not
work, perhaps your configuration will not be supported by Microsoft.
Could you mention a couple of these stored procedures and its security risk?
Ben Nevarez
"Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP]" wrote:

> Why? System databases that are stored in master will still execute in the
> context of the database they are called from.
> A
>
>
|||and what kind of security audit tool/application are you using.
Thanks, Liliya
"Ben Nevarez" wrote:
[vbcol=seagreen]
> Also if you drop your system stored procedures and your system does not
> work, perhaps your configuration will not be supported by Microsoft.
> Could you mention a couple of these stored procedures and its security risk?
> Ben Nevarez
>
>
> "Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP]" wrote:
|||Thanks for all the feedback. Currently we are using Lumigent Log Explorer.
This generates DDL alerts. But this is not in the discussion. One of the DB
security/audit person asked us that we should drop all the system stored
procedures in the user database, not master database. I have never heard or
seen anything about this. If you have some knowledge from security
perspective, please let me know. Our IT Management is also keen to know about
it. Thanks again...Fraz
"Liliya Huff" wrote:
[vbcol=seagreen]
> and what kind of security audit tool/application are you using.
> --
> Thanks, Liliya
>
> "Ben Nevarez" wrote:
|||Fraz,
I heard this discussed many years ago by someone (long forgotten) as a
method of locking down a database. I never followed that advice because I
thought it was questionable.
Any change to the deliverable software, even changing permissions to it, has
to be carefully weighed for what it will break and which tools will no
longer work as expected.
I would not delete system stored procedure from a database unless I had a
very clear reason to do so and a good understanding of the impact.
(Actually, 'leave them alone' is how I read the subtext of other comments.)
RLF
"Fraz" <Fraz@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:45F11F19-110C-4E40-A4C1-811DC6B1BC8D@.microsoft.com...[vbcol=seagreen]
> Thanks for all the feedback. Currently we are using Lumigent Log Explorer.
> This generates DDL alerts. But this is not in the discussion. One of the
> DB
> security/audit person asked us that we should drop all the system stored
> procedures in the user database, not master database. I have never heard
> or
> seen anything about this. If you have some knowledge from security
> perspective, please let me know. Our IT Management is also keen to know
> about
> it. Thanks again...Fraz
> "Liliya Huff" wrote:
|||are you talking about SOX auditors?
that is an odd one. never showed up in our case...
dropping system stored procedures is not going to lock down your database
alone. Are you trying to lock down an insider or an outsider?
Thanks, Liliya
"Fraz" wrote:

> Thanks for all the feedback. Currently we are using Lumigent Log Explorer.
> This generates DDL alerts. But this is not in the discussion. One of the DB
> security/audit person asked us that we should drop all the system stored
> procedures in the user database, not master database. I have never heard or
> seen anything about this. If you have some knowledge from security
> perspective, please let me know. Our IT Management is also keen to know about
> it. Thanks again...Fraz
|||Not SOX auditors, they are other auditors. We are trying to protect the
database from oursider.
From all the comments I have received, I feel that it is safe to leave all
the system stored procedures in the user database as-it-is. I appreciate your
comments and thank you for this. Regards...Fraz
"Liliya Huff" wrote:

> are you talking about SOX auditors?
> that is an odd one. never showed up in our case...
> dropping system stored procedures is not going to lock down your database
> alone. Are you trying to lock down an insider or an outsider?
> --
> Thanks, Liliya
>
> "Fraz" wrote:
>
|||if it is an insider attack, then killing system stored procedures is not
going to protect you.
Insider will be trying to get access to your data or if really upset for
example generate a dos kind of attack. On inside an authenticated attack is
your likely attack. Find out where your end-users stash their passwords .
In both cases killing system stored procedures is not going to to anything
except of a trouble for you to locate who when and how. There is no need to
use any of system stored procedures to create an authenticated dos attack,
public is more then enough. To take the data - that one is likely to be an
authenticated attack, because it is more difficult to catch, imitates a real
application.
Thanks, Liliya
"Fraz" wrote:

> Not SOX auditors, they are other auditors. We are trying to protect the
> database from oursider.
> From all the comments I have received, I feel that it is safe to leave all
> the system stored procedures in the user database as-it-is. I appreciate your
> comments and thank you for this. Regards...Fraz