SQL Server must be monitored to discover unauthorized changes to stored procedures.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-67369	SQL4-00-015200	SV-81859r2_rule		Medium

Description
When dealing with change control issues, it should be noted, any changes to the hardware, software, and/or firmware components of SQL Server and/or application can potentially have significant effects on the overall security of the system. If SQL Server were to allow any user to make changes to software libraries, then those changes might be implemented without undergoing the appropriate testing and approvals that are part of a robust change management process. This requirement is contingent upon the language in which the application is programmed, as many application architectures in use today incorporate their software libraries into, and make them inseparable from, their compiled distributions, rendering them static and version-dependent. However, this requirement does apply to applications with software libraries accessible and configurable, as in the case of interpreted languages. Accordingly, only qualified and authorized individuals shall be allowed to obtain access to SQL Server components for purposes of initiating changes, including upgrades and modifications. Unmanaged changes that occur to the SQL Server software libraries or configuration, such as Stored Procedures, can lead to unauthorized or compromised installations.

Description

When dealing with change control issues, it should be noted, any changes to the hardware, software, and/or firmware components of SQL Server and/or application can potentially have significant effects on the overall security of the system. If SQL Server were to allow any user to make changes to software libraries, then those changes might be implemented without undergoing the appropriate testing and approvals that are part of a robust change management process. This requirement is contingent upon the language in which the application is programmed, as many application architectures in use today incorporate their software libraries into, and make them inseparable from, their compiled distributions, rendering them static and version-dependent. However, this requirement does apply to applications with software libraries accessible and configurable, as in the case of interpreted languages. Accordingly, only qualified and authorized individuals shall be allowed to obtain access to SQL Server components for purposes of initiating changes, including upgrades and modifications. Unmanaged changes that occur to the SQL Server software libraries or configuration, such as Stored Procedures, can lead to unauthorized or compromised installations.

STIG	Date
MS SQL Server 2014 Database Security Technical Implementation Guide	2017-12-01

Details

Check Text ( C-67947r1_chk )
Check for the existence of a job to monitor for changes to stored procedures: EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_help_job @job_name = ''; (Alternatively, in SQL Server Management Studio, navigate to SQL Server Agent and examine the job from there.) If such a job, or an alternative method of monitoring stored procedures for modification, does not exist, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-73481r3_fix)
Configure a SQL Server timed job that automatically checks all system and user-defined Stored Procedures for modification. (The supplemental file Track.sql, provided with this STIG, can be used to establish a monitoring job. This should be supplemented with a process for informing the appropriate personnel. Other techniques for achieving the same ends, such as the use of DDL triggers, are acceptable.)

Fix Text (F-73481r3_fix)

Configure a SQL Server timed job that automatically checks all system and user-defined Stored Procedures for modification.

(The supplemental file Track.sql, provided with this STIG, can be used to establish a monitoring job. This should be supplemented with a process for informing the appropriate personnel. Other techniques for achieving the same ends, such as the use of DDL triggers, are acceptable.)