Re: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) and encrypted files

On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 3:42 AM Stephen Frost <sfrost(at)snowman(dot)net> wrote:

>
> > It doesn't seem like it would require
> > much work at all to construct an argument that a hacker might enjoy
> > having unfettered access to pg_clog even if no other part of the
> > database can be read.
>
> The question isn't about what hackers would like to have access to, it's
> about what would actually provide them with a channel to get information
> that's sensitive, and at what rate. Perhaps there's an argument to be
> made that clog would provide a high enough rate of information that
> could be used to glean sensitive information, but that's certainly not
> an argument that's been put forth, instead it's the knee-jerk reaction
> of "oh goodness, if anything isn't encrypted then hackers will be able
> to get access to everything" and that's just not a real argument.
>

Huh. That is *exactly* the argument I made. Though granted the example was
on multixact primarily, because I think that is much more likely to leak
interesting information, but the basis certainly applies to all the
metadata.

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