In one of my last blog post SQL Toolbox for simplified Oracle Unified Audit Data Analysis, I introduced a set of scripts designed to streamline Oracle Unified Audit data analysis. These scripts, now available on my GitHub repository oehrlis/oradba, have received positive feedback. Building on that, I’d like to explore an alternative approach to augment […]
It’s a wrap. The DOAG database conference has come to an end. As I sit on the train, I reflect on a week full of excitement and variety. In addition to the many fascinating technical presentations, I had the opportunity to catch up with old friends and colleagues. The conference started on Monday afternoon when […]
The wait is over! After a long break, Oracle has launched a major update for its Database Security Assessment Tool, DBSAT. The latest version, DBSAT 3.0, includes a number of new features and enhancements, all aimed at increasing database security and optimizing compliance processes. In this post, I’ll look at what’s new in this release […]
I have previously published a couple of blog posts related to Kerberos authentication for databases. In this post, I want to provide a simple, step-by-step tutorial for configuring Kerberos authentication. This tutorial is based on my lab setup within Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). Within this environment, I run both a database server and a corresponding […]
Running an Oracle Database (DB) Container on your laptop, regardless of your device, is a common practice for professionals in lab and engineering environments. These containers offer a convenient solution for setting up and managing Oracle databases for various purposes. However, there are scenarios where you need to interact with the Oracle DB Container using […]
On October 17, Oracle released its quarterly Critical Patch Update Advisory. This comprehensive advisory contains details about 387 new security patches for various Oracle product families. Among them are some serious vulnerabilities that can be exploited remotely over the network, i.e. with a CVSS rating of 9 or more. The entire advisory can be found […]
Today’s #JoelKallmanDay, my topic is about simplifying the configuration of Kerberos authentication of Oracle databases using Linux tools. I have already written a few things about Kerberos in the past. The blog posts on this topic are usually tagged with Kerberos. Today I want to show you an alternative method how to create the keytab […]
I recently wrote a blog post about Oracle SQLNet TLS encryption and how easy it is to configure. See also Oracle SQLNet TLS configuration simplified. This was followed by a short discussion about whether a simple ALTER USER … IDENTIFIED BY is encrypted in a regular connection or not. So let’s validate this by examining […]
Most security measures for Oracle databases are usually aimed at protecting and hardening the database itself. This includes secure configuration, implementation of the least privilege principle, reduction of the attack surface, encryption at REST, database audit and much more. Sometimes, however, it is forgotten that the database also communicates with the outside world. Without additional […]
On my journey through the area of database security, Oracle Unified Audit has been a constant companion. I not only created audit concepts, but also often had the opportunity to implement them. Besides the configuration, the administration and evaluation of the audit data was always part of it. Occasionally I used scripts for this. However, […]
While you may be familiar with the essential configuration files, sqlnet.ora and tnsnames.ora, did you know that there’s a hidden path to unlock greater flexibility in Oracle Net Service configuration?
Over the past two days, I had the opportunity to participate in the AOUG User Conference as a speaker and presenter. Like in previous years, the conference took place at the Austria Trend Hotel Savoyen. The theme for this year was “Everything Cloud?” The first day of the conference started off in a smaller setting […]
I have several Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) based Lab environments, which I build with Terraform and corresponding shell scripts. Unfortunately the labs are not one size fits all. Depending on what I’m testing, I have different requirements for the available filesystems. So every now and then I face the problem that I have to increase […]
Oracle Database 23c Free – Developer Release is all over since Oracle released it yesterday. See the Official Oracle pages Oracle Database Free or the blog post by Gerald Venzl Introducing Oracle Database 23c Free – Developer Release. Connor McDonald even got a special delivery from Oracle. A few important web pages related to Oracle […]
A while ago I wrote a blog post about issues with some Oracle Unified Audit Policies see Help I lost my brand new Unified Audit Policy? In the meantime, the whole thing no longer looks so tragic. The problem is an official bug for which Oracle has already released a one-off patch. See Oracle Support Document 30769454.8 Bug 30769454 – Policy Created For Some Actions Are Not Showing In Audit_Unified_Policies.
Just realized that under some conditions audit policies are not shown in AUDIT_UNIFIED_POLICIES. This blog post does provide a few information and a test case.