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| AuthDBAuthoritative |
AuthDBAuthoritative on|off Default: AuthDBAuthoritative on directory, .htaccess |
Setting the AuthDBAuthoritative directive
explicitly to off allows for both authentication
and authorization to be passed on to lower-level modules (as defined
in the Config and modules.c files) if there is
no user ID or rule matching the supplied user ID. If there is a user
ID and/or rule specified, the usual password and access checks will
be applied, and a failure will give an Authorization Required reply.
So if a user ID appears in the database of more than one module or if
a valid Require directive applies to more than one
module, then the first module will verify the credentials, and no
access is passed on — regardless of the
AuthAuthoritative setting.
A common use for this is in conjunction with one of the basic auth modules, such as mod_auth.c. Whereas this DB module supplies the bulk of the user-credential checking, a few (administrator) related accesses fall through to a lower level with a well-protected .htpasswd file.
By default, control is not passed on, and an unknown user ID or rule will result in an Authorization Required reply. Not setting it thus keeps the system secure.
Do consider the implications of allowing a user to allow fall-through in his .htaccess file, and verify that this is really what you want. Generally, it is easier just to secure a single .htpasswd file than it is to secure a database that might have more access interfaces.
| AuthDBMAuthoritative |
AuthDBMAuthoritative on|off Default: AuthDBMAuthoritative on directory, .htaccess |
Setting the AuthDBMAuthoritative directive
explicitly to off allows for both authentication
and authorization to be passed on to lower-level modules (as defined
in the Config and modules.c files) if there is
no user ID or rule matching the supplied user ID. If there is a user
ID and/or rule specified, the usual password and access checks will
be applied, and a failure will give an Authorization Required reply.
So if a user ID appears in the database of more than one module or if
a valid Require directive applies to more than one
module, then the first module will verify the credentials, and no
access is passed on — regardless of the
AuthAuthoritative setting.
A common use for this is in conjunction with one of the basic auth modules, such as mod_auth.c. Whereas this DBM module supplies the bulk of the user-credential checking, a few (administrator) related accesses fall through to a lower level with a well-protected .htpasswd file.
By default, control is not passed on, and an unknown user ID or rule will result in an Authorization Required reply. Not setting it thus keeps the system secure.
Do consider the implications of allowing a user to allow fall-through in her .htaccess file, and verify that this is really what you want. Generally, it is easier to just secure a single .htpasswd file than it is to secure a database that might have more access interfaces.
| home / internet / security / apache / chap5 / 1 | [previous] [next] |
Created: February 18, 2003
Revised: February 18, 2003
URL: http://webreference.com/internet/apache/chap5/1/4.html
