Authentication for MariaDB Enterprise Server

Overview of user account authentication using plugins like pam or unix_socket and managing security with password validation plugins.

Overview

MariaDB Enterprise Server authentication is performed by database user accounts. Database user accounts are specified by user name, the hostname from which the account is connecting, and the authentication plugins configured for the account, such as mysql_native_password, pam, or unix_socket.

Change Password

The password for a database user account can be changed using the ALTER TABLE, ALTER USER, and SET PASSWORD statements.

WITH ALTER USER:

ALTER USER 'USER'@'192.0.2.%'
   IDENTIFIED BY 'PASSWD';

WITH SET PASSWORD:

SET PASSWORD FOR 'USER'@'192.0.2.%'
   = PASSWORD('PASSWD');

Password Validation Plugins

If your MariaDB Enterprise Server node has a password validation plugin installed, then the password should also meet the configured requirements. When you try to set or change a user's password and the password validation plugin rejects the password, the following error message will be shown:

ERROR HY000: Your password does not satisfy the current policy requirements.

By default, the MariaDB Enterprise Server installs the simple_password_check plugin, but the cracklib_password_check plugin is also available.

For simple_password_check, the password requirements are configured by several system variables:

• simple_password_check_digits

• imple_password_check_letters_same_case

• simple_password_check_minimal_length

• simple_password_check_other_characters

Authentication Plugins

MariaDB Enterprise Server uses authentication plugins to support different authentication methods. The default authentication plugin is mysql_native_password.

• Authentication with ed25519

• Authentication with gssapi

• Authentication with mysql_native_password

• Authentication with mysql_old_password

• Authentication with pam

• Authentication with unix_socket

• Authentication with PARSEC

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