Execution of stored procedures and functions that use execute as must be restricted to necessary cases only.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-271188 | SQLD-22-002900 | SV-271188r1108912_rule | Medium |
| Description |
| In certain situations, to provide required functionality, a DBMS needs to execute internal logic (stored procedures, functions, triggers, etc.) and/or external code modules with elevated privileges. However, if the privileges required for execution are at a higher level than the privileges assigned to organizational users invoking the functionality applications/programs, those users are indirectly provided with greater privileges than assigned by organizations. Privilege elevation must be used only where necessary and protected from misuse. This calls for inspection of application source code, which will require collaboration with the application developers. It is recognized that in many cases, the database administrator (DBA) is organizationally separate from the application developers, and may have limited, if any, access to source code. Nevertheless, protections of this type are so important to the secure operation of databases that they must not be ignored. At a minimum, the DBA must attempt to obtain assurances from the development organization that this issue has been addressed and must document what has been discovered. |
| STIG | Date |
| Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Database Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-29 |
Details
| Check Text (C-75231r1108891_chk) |
| Review the system documentation to obtain a listing of stored procedures and functions that use impersonation. Execute the following query: SELECT S.name AS schema_name, O.name AS module_name, USER_NAME( CASE M.execute_as_principal_id WHEN -2 THEN COALESCE(O.principal_id, S.principal_id) ELSE M.execute_as_principal_id END ) AS execute_as FROM sys.sql_modules M JOIN sys.objects O ON M.object_id = O.object_id JOIN sys.schemas S ON O.schema_id = S.schema_id WHERE execute_as_principal_id IS NOT NULL and o.name not in ( 'fn_sysdac_get_username', 'fn_sysutility_ucp_get_instance_is_mi', 'sp_send_dbmail', 'sp_SendMailMessage', 'sp_syscollector_create_collection_set', 'sp_syscollector_delete_collection_set', 'sp_syscollector_disable_collector', 'sp_syscollector_enable_collector', 'sp_syscollector_get_collection_set_execution_status', 'sp_syscollector_run_collection_set', 'sp_syscollector_start_collection_set', 'sp_syscollector_update_collection_set', 'sp_syscollector_upload_collection_set', 'sp_syscollector_verify_collector_state', 'sp_syspolicy_add_policy', 'sp_syspolicy_add_policy_category_subscription', 'sp_syspolicy_delete_policy', 'sp_syspolicy_delete_policy_category_subscription', 'sp_syspolicy_update_policy', 'sp_sysutility_mi_add_ucp_registration', 'sp_sysutility_mi_disable_collection', 'sp_sysutility_mi_enroll', 'sp_sysutility_mi_initialize_collection', 'sp_sysutility_mi_remove', 'sp_sysutility_mi_remove_ucp_registration', 'sp_sysutility_mi_upload', 'sp_sysutility_mi_validate_enrollment_preconditions', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_add_mi', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_add_policy', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_calculate_aggregated_dac_health', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_calculate_aggregated_mi_health', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_calculate_computer_health', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_calculate_dac_file_space_health', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_calculate_dac_health', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_calculate_filegroups_with_policy_violations', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_calculate_health', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_calculate_mi_file_space_health', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_calculate_mi_health', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_configure_policies', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_create', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_delete_policy', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_delete_policy_history', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_get_policy_violations', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_initialize', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_initialize_mdw', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_remove_mi', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_update_policy', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_update_utility_configuration', 'sp_sysutility_ucp_validate_prerequisites', 'sp_validate_user', 'syscollector_collection_set_is_running_update_trigger', 'sysmail_help_status_sp' ) ORDER BY schema_name, module_name If any procedures or functions are returned that are not documented, this is a finding. |
| Fix Text (F-75138r1108179_fix) |
| Alter stored procedures and functions to remove the "EXECUTE AS" statement. |