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From: toma@swsrv1.cirr.com (Tom Armistead)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Is it possible to hide process args from 'ps -ef'??
Keywords: ps exec
Message-ID: <1991Apr17.222700.4586@swsrv1.cirr.com>
Date: 17 Apr 91 22:27:00 GMT
References: <1414@compel.UUCP>
Organization: Software Services: Garland, Tx
Lines: 52

In article <1414@compel.UUCP> her@compel.UUCP (Helge Egelund Rasmussen) writes:
>It is possible to give Oracle programs the username/password on the 
>command line, ie : 
>    $ sqlplus scott/tiger
>
>This is all very nice, BUT when another user execute 'ps -ef' he/she 
>can see the password!
>
>Is it possible to hide the arguments, so that they won't show up in
>the 'ps' output (possibly by 'exec'ing sqlplus in some devious way :-)??
>
>I know that Oracle will ask for the username & password if these aren't given
>as arguments, but I would prefer giving them as arguments.
>
>Btw. I'm using SysV3 (Interactive Unix).
>
>Helge
>---
>Helge E. Rasmussen  .  PHONE + 45 36 72 33 00  .  E-mail:  her@compel.dk
>Compel A/S          .  FAX   + 45 36 72 43 00  .  
>Copenhagen, Denmark

I THINK this is impossible - but I'm not a kernel type - so don't quote me
on that.  If you only problem is with Oracle and SQL*Plus, you can set up
Oracle accounts so that no password is entered on the command line.

Oracle stuff after this line, press 'n' to skip:


In Oracle, you can add accounts so that the user only enters '/' on the
command line, this will be accepted as username and password.

If an Oracle account of the name 'OPS$unix_user_name' exists where
unix_user_name is equal to your account name, you will connected to
that account with '/' and no password is required.

ex.
SQL> GRANT CONNECT,RESOURCE TO OPS$TOMA IDENTIFIED BY SADKJSALJK;

The password is basically just junk to keep unauthorized people from using
the account.

Now, I log into unix as toma and run sqlplus like this:
    $ sqlplus /

Hope this helps...

Tom
-- 
Tom Armistead - Software Services - 2918 Dukeswood Dr. - Garland, Tx  75040
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toma@swsrv1.cirr.com                {egsner,letni,ozdaltx,void}!swsrv1!toma