Steps to Help Secure SQL Server 2000 | SansSQL

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Steps to Help Secure SQL Server 2000

Here are some things you can do today to improve the security of your SQL Server installation:

1.Install the most recent service pack

The single most effective action you can take to improve the security of your server is to upgrade to SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4)

2.Use Windows Authentication Mode.

Whenever possible, you should require Windows Authentication Mode for connections to SQL Server. This will shield your SQL Server installation from most Internet-based attacks by restricting connections to Microsoft Windows user and domain user accounts. Your server will also benefit from Windows security enforcement mechanisms such as stronger authentication protocols and mandatory password complexity and expiration. Also, credentials delegation (the ability to bridge credentials across multiple servers) is only available in Windows Authentication Mode. On the client side, Windows Authentication Mode eliminates the need to store passwords, which is a major vulnerability in applications that use standard SQL Server logins.

To set up Windows Authentication Mode security with Enterprise Manager in SQL Server:
Expand a server group. Right-click a server and then click Properties. On the Security tab, under Authentication, click Windows only.

For more information, see the "Authentication Mode" topic in SQL Server Books Online or on MSDN.

3.Isolate your server and back it up regularly.

Physical and logical isolation make up the foundation of SQL Server security. Machines hosting a database should be in a physically protected location, ideally a locked machine room with monitored flood detection and fire detection/suppression systems. Databases should be installed in the secure zone of your corporate intranet and never directly connected to the Internet. Back up all data regularly and store copies in a secure off-site location.


4.Assign a strong sa password.

The sa account should always have a strong password, even on servers that are configured to require Windows Authentication. This will ensure that a blank or weak sa password is not exposed in the future if the server is reconfigured for Mixed Mode Authentication.

To assign the sa password:
Expand a server group, and then expand a server.
Expand Security, and then click Logins.
In the details pane, right-click SA, and
then click Properties. In the Password box, type the new password.

5.Limit privilege level of SQL Server Services.

SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server Agent run as Windows services. Each service must be associated with a Windows account, from which it derives its security context. SQL Server allows users of the sa login, and in some cases other users, to access operating system features. These operating system calls are made with the security context of the account that owns the server process. If the server is cracked, these operating system calls may be used to extend the attack to any other resource to which the owning process (the SQL Server service account) has access. For this reason, it is important to grant only necessary privileges to SQL Server services.

The following settings are recommended:

SQL Server Engine/MSSQLServer
If there are named instances, they will be named MSSQL$InstanceName. Run as a Windows domain user account with regular user privileges. Do not run as local system, local administrator, or domain administrator accounts.

SQL Server Agent Service/SQLServerAgent
Disable if not required in your environment; otherwise run as a Windows domain user account with regular user privileges. Do not run as local system, local administrator, or domain administrator accounts.

Important: SQL Server Agent will need local Windows administrator privileges if one of the following is true:

SQL Server Agent connects to SQL Server using standard SQL Server Authentication (not recommended). >SQL Server Agent uses a multiserver administration master server (MSX) account that connects using standard SQL Server Authentication. SQL Server Agent runs Microsoft ActiveX® script or CmdExec jobs owned by users who are not members of the sysadmin fixed server role.

If you need to change the account associated with a SQL Server service, use SQL Server Enterprise Manager. Enterprise Manager will set appropriate permissions on the files and registry keys used by SQL Server. Never use the Services applet of Microsoft Management Console (in Control Panel) to change these accounts, because this requires manual adjustment of dozens of registry and NTFS file system permissions and Microsoft Windows user rights.

Changes to account information will take effect the next time the service is started. If you need to change the account associated with SQL Server and SQL Server Agent, you must apply the change to both services separately using Enterprise Manager.

6.Disable SQL Server ports on your firewall.

Default installations of SQL Server monitor TCP port 1433 and UDP port 1434. Configure your firewall to filter out packets addressed to these ports. Additional ports associated with named instances should also be blocked at the firewall.

7.Use the most secure file system.

NTFS is the preferred file system for installations of SQL Server. It is more stable and recoverable than FAT file systems, and enables security options such as file and directory ACLs and file encryption (EFS). During installation, SQL Server will set appropriate ACLs on registry keys and files if it detects NTFS. These permissions should not be changed.

With EFS, database files are encrypted under the identity of the account running SQL Server. Only this account can decrypt the files. If you need to change the account that runs SQL Server, you should first decrypt the files under the old account, then re-encrypt them under the new account.

8.Delete or secure old setup files.

SQL Server setup files may contain plain-text or weakly encrypted credentials and other sensitive configuration information that has been logged during installation. The location of these log files varies depending on which version of SQL Server has been installed. In SQL Server 2000, the following files may be affected: sqlstp.log, sqlsp.log, and setup.iss in the :\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Install folder for a default installation, and the :\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\ MSSQL$\Install folder for named instances.

If the current system is an upgrade from SQL Server version 7.0 installations, the following files should be checked as well: setup.iss in the %Windir% folder, and sqlsp.log in the Windows Temp folder.

9.Audit connections to SQL Server.

SQL Server can log event information for review by the system administrator. At a minimum, you should log failed connection attempts to SQL Server and review the log regularly. When possible, save these logs to a different hard drive than the one on which data files are stored.

To enable auditing of failed connections with Enterprise Manager in SQL Server:

Expand a server group.
Right-click a server, and then click Properties.
On the Security tab, under Audit Level, click Failure.

4 comments:

Huongkvb said...

Mua vé máy bay tại Aivivu, tham khảo

giá vé máy bay đi Mỹ khứ hồi

cách đăng ký chuyến bay từ mỹ về việt nam

ve may bay tu nhat ve viet nam

mua ve may bay gia re tu duc ve viet nam

vé máy bay từ canada về việt nam

vé máy bay hàn quốc hà nội

giá khách sạn cách ly ở việt nam

Chi phi cho chuyen gia nuoc ngoai

OffshoreServers said...

I am heartily thankful to you that you have shared important and essential information with us. I got some different kind of knowledge from your webpage, and it is very much important for everyone. Thanks 10 gbps Streaming Server Ports online 

Nanfor Ibérica said...

This is actually good to read content of this blog. A is very general and huge knowledgeable platform has been known by this blog. I in reality appreciate this blog to have such kind of educational knowledge.
MS-101T02: Microsoft 365 Compliance Management

Gabby said...

An easy way is marked and adopted for the top of the turns for the citizens. The change of the ai video editor for all people. The theme is ensured for the change. Implication is held for the terms for the use of the agents by all issues.

Post a Comment

Ads