When deploying RLS, I was surprised to find that certain queries which used
only builtin indexes and operators had dramatically different query plans when
a policy is applied. In my case, the query `tsvector @@ tsquery` over a GIN
index was no longer able to use that index. I was able to find one other
instance [1] of someone being surprised by this behavior on the mailing lists.
The docs already discuss the LEAKPROOF semantics in the abstract, but I think
they place not enough focus on the idea that builtin operators can be (and
frequently are) not leakproof. Based on the query given in the attached patch,
I found that 387 operators are not leakproof versus 588 that are.
The attached patch updates the documentation to provide an easy query over
system catalogs as a way of determining which operators will no longer perform
well under RLS or a security-barrier view.
Thanks,
Josh
[1]
https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/CAGrP7a2t%2BJbeuxpQY%2BRSvNe4fr3%2B%3D%3DUmyimwV0GCD%2BwcrSSb%3Dw%40mail.gmail.com
From db382697f14bd12dd9e29606c314d7a35bd290ea Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Josh Snyder <j...@code406.com>
Date: Sat, 18 May 2024 15:50:47 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Add query for operators unusable with RLS
---
doc/src/sgml/rules.sgml | 26 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 26 insertions(+)
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/rules.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/rules.sgml
index 7a928bd7b9..3b1283c002 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/rules.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/rules.sgml
@@ -2167,6 +2167,32 @@ CREATE VIEW phone_number WITH (security_barrier) AS
view's row filters.
</para>
+<para>
+ When working with <literal>security_barrier</literal> views or row-level
+ security policies, a query author can check in advance which index-access
+ operators cannot cross the security barrier by querying system catalogs:
+</para>
+
+<programlisting>
+SELECT
+ amname,
+ format('%s(%s,%s) [%s]', oprcode, lefttype.typname, righttype.typname, oprname)
+FROM pg_operator
+ JOIN pg_amop ON pg_operator.oid = pg_amop.amopopr
+ JOIN pg_am ON pg_amop.amopmethod = pg_am.oid
+ JOIN pg_proc ON pg_operator.oprcode = pg_proc.oid
+ JOIN pg_type lefttype ON pg_amop.amoplefttype = lefttype.oid
+ JOIN pg_type righttype ON pg_amop.amoprighttype = righttype.oid
+WHERE proleakproof = false;
+</programlisting>
+
+<para>
+ Any operator returned by the above query will not be able to perform an
+ indexed lookup through the security barrier. In that case, the view's own
+ conditions will be applied first, followed by conditions added by the query
+ author.
+</para>
+
<para>
It is important to understand that even a view created with the
<literal>security_barrier</literal> option is intended to be secure only
--
2.40.1
