V-213914

Discussion

An isolation boundary provides access control and protects the integrity of the hardware, software, and firmware that perform security functions. Security functions are the hardware, software, and/or firmware of the information system responsible for enforcing the system security policy and supporting the isolation of code and data on which the protection is based. Developers and implementers can increase the assurance in security functions by employing well-defined security policy models; structured, disciplined, and rigorous hardware and software development techniques; and sound system/security engineering principles. Database Management Systems typically separate security functionality from non-security functionality via separate databases or schemas. Database objects or code implementing security functionality should not be commingled with objects or code implementing application logic. When security and non-security functionality are commingled, users who have access to non-security functionality may be able to access security functionality.

Check Content

Determine elements of security functionality (lists of permissions, additional authentication information, stored procedures, application specific auditing, etc.) that are being housed inside SQL server.

For any elements found, check SQL Server to determine if these objects or code implementing security functionality are located in a separate security domain, such as a separate database, schema, or table created specifically for security functionality.

If the database is a SQL Server default database (master, msdb, model, tempdb), this is NA.

Run the following query to list all the user-defined databases:

SELECT Name 
FROM sys.databases 
WHERE database_id > 4 
ORDER BY 1;

Review the database structure to determine where security related functionality is stored. If security-related database objects or code are not kept separate, this is a finding.