Simply put, any entity within the database engine that can be secured with permission is called securable. The highest levels of securables are servers and databases, mid-level securables are assemblies, full-text catalogs, message types, etc., and the finest level securables are table, view, function, stored procedure, etc. We can grant, deny and revoke permission on securables.
Below is the list of server-level permissions. The list on the left also includes the permission defined on the right. For instance, once we grant a login control server permission, the login will also have privilege to do bulk operation, create and alter any database, create unsafe assembly and shutdown the SQL instance. We need to be extra careful when granting anyone server-level permission. One thing worth mentioning is that by default all users have permission to "VIEW ANY DATABASE." Also, to grant server-level permission, we need to be in the master database to issue the server scope granting command and we either need to be a sysadmin or possess the server-level permission and higher with GRANT option to give others permission on server level. The server-level permission information is stored on sys.server_permissions.
Unlike server-level permission that you can only define when connecting to the master database, each database has its list of pre-defined class of securable that you can grant permission on database principal (database user). Here is the list of securable class on which permission exists:
Database-level Permission information is stored on sys.database_permissions. Unless sys.server_permissions, sys.database_permissions exists for every database.
The definition for GRANT, REVOKE and DENY can be confusing sometimes. Simply put, revoke is used to remove the permission that has been GRANTED or DENIED on the same securable.
But what if we grant permission to a lower scope securable and then issue DENY or REVOKE on a higher scope securable, what will happen to the lower scope securable? No surprise, there is a difference.
When Denying on a higher-level securable, the principal will be denied on the lower-level securable.
When Revoking on a higher-level securable, the principal will keep his granted permission on the lower scope securable.
A principal can grant permission to another principal if his permission is granted with grant option.
We have briefly gone over the available list of server-level and database-level securable class. We often face tasks like listing out what permission a login has. In my first article in this series, we talked about server role and database role assignment for any given login. But there are cases where login was given more specific permission that was not given through server or database role but through server and database securable. This is the most easily forgotten part of login permission.
It would be nice to simply input the login name that we are interested in and get ready to use script to recover permission on server level and database level securable for the specified principal. In this article, I am only focusing on database and server-level securables. If you are interested to see how to generate login creation, server role assignment or database role assignment, please refer to the first article of the series.
Now, we can look into the script. To use the script, here are the steps. This script works on SQL 2005, SQL 2008 and SQL 2008 R2.
----------------------------------------------
--Login Pre-requisites
----------------------------------------------
set concat_null_yields_null off
USE master
go
SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE @login_name varchar(100)
SET @login_name = 'YourLoginName'
-----------------------------------------------------------------
IF lower(@login_name) IN ('sa','public')
BEGIN
RAISERROR (15405,11,1,@login_name)
RETURN
END
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.server_principals WHERE name = @login_name AND type IN ('G','U','S'))
BEGIN
PRINT 'Please input valid login name'
RETURN
END
DECLARE @login_sid varbinary(85)
SELECT @login_sid = sid FROM sys.server_principals WHERE name = @login_name
DECLARE @maxid int
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#db_users') is not null
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #db_users
END
SELECT id = identity(int,1,1), sql_cmd = 'SELECT '''+name+''', * FROM ['+name+'].sys.database_principals' INTO #db_users FROM sys.databases
WHERE state_desc <> 'OFFLINE'
SELECT @maxid = @@ROWCOUNT
----------------------------------------------
--Create Server Role Temp table
----------------------------------------------
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#srvrole') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #srvrole
END
CREATE TABLE #srvrole(ServerRole sysname, MemberName sysname, MemberSID varbinary(85))
INSERT INTO [#srvrole] EXEC sp_helpsrvrolemember
DECLARE @login_srvrole varchar(1000)
SET @login_srvrole = ''
IF EXISTS (select * from [#srvrole] where ServerRole = 'sysadmin' AND MemberName = @login_name)
BEGIN
PRINT '--Login ['+@login_name+'] is part of sysadmin server role, hence possesses full privileges for SQL instance: '+@@servername
PRINT 'GO'
SELECT @login_srvrole = @login_srvrole + 'EXEC sp_addsrvrolemember '''+MemberName+''','''+ServerRole+''''+CHAR(10) FROM #srvrole
WHERE [MemberName] = @login_name
PRINT @login_srvrole
RETURN
RETURN
END
---------------------------------------------------
--Find out list of db that the login has access to
---------------------------------------------------
PRINT ''
PRINT '----------------------------------------------'
PRINT '--Create database user for login '
PRINT '----------------------------------------------'
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#alldb_users') is not null
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #alldb_users
END
CREATE TABLE #alldb_users(
[dbname] [sysname] NOT NULL,
[name] [sysname] NOT NULL,
[principal_id] [int] NOT NULL,
[type] [char](1) NOT NULL,
[type_desc] [nvarchar](60) NULL,
[default_schema_name] [sysname] NULL,
[create_date] [datetime] NOT NULL,
[modify_date] [datetime] NOT NULL,
[owning_principal_id] [int] NULL,
[sid] [varbinary](85) NULL,
[is_fixed_role] [bit] NOT NULL
)
DECLARE @id int, @sqlcmd varchar(500)
SET @id = 1
WHILE @id <=@maxid
BEGIN
SELECT @sqlcmd = sql_cmd FROM #db_users WHERE id = @id
INSERT INTO #alldb_users EXEC (@sqlcmd)
SET @id = @id + 1
END
DELETE FROM #alldb_users WHERE sid is null
DELETE FROM #alldb_users WHERE sid <> @login_sid
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM #alldb_users )
BEGIN
PRINT '--Login ['+@login_name+'] doesnt have access to any database'
END
DECLARE @name sysname, @dbname sysname, @schema sysname, @dbuser_cmd varchar(8000)
DECLARE dbuser_cursor CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT dbname, name, default_schema_name
FROM #alldb_users
OPEN dbuser_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM dbuser_cursor INTO @dbname, @name, @schema
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
IF @schema IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
SELECT @dbuser_cmd = 'USE ['+dbname+']
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.database_principals WHERE name = '''+name+''')
BEGIN
CREATE USER ['+@name+'] FOR LOGIN ['+@login_name+']'+isnull(' WITH DEFAULT_SCHEMA=['+default_schema_name+']','')+'
END
GO
' FROM #alldb_users WHERE name = @name and dbname = @dbname
END
ELSE
BEGIN
SELECT @dbuser_cmd = 'USE ['+dbname+']
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.database_principals WHERE name = '''+name+''')
BEGIN
CREATE USER ['+@name+'] FOR LOGIN ['+@login_name+']
END
GO
' FROM #alldb_users WHERE name = @name and dbname = @dbname
END
print @dbuser_cmd
FETCH NEXT FROM dbuser_cursor INTO @dbname, @name, @schema
END
CLOSE dbuser_cursor
DEALLOCATE dbuser_cursor
----------------------------------------------
--Create DB Role Temp table
----------------------------------------------
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#dbrole') is not null
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #dbrole
END
create table #dbrole (id int identity(1,1), dbname varchar(100), dbrole varchar (100), dbrole_member varchar(100), sid varbinary(85),default_schema_name varchar(100), login_name varchar(100), db_principal_id int)
DECLARE @dbrole_sqlcmd varchar(max)
DECLARE dbrole_cursor CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT
'SELECT '''+dbname+''', c.name, b.name, b.sid, b.default_schema_name, d.name, b.principal_id as login_name
from ['+dbname+'].sys.database_role_members a
inner join ['+dbname+'].sys.database_principals b on a.member_principal_id = b.principal_id
inner join ['+dbname+'].sys.database_principals c on a.role_principal_id = c.principal_id
left join sys.server_principals d on b.sid = d.sid
where d.name= '''+@login_name+''''
from #alldb_users
OPEN dbrole_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM dbrole_cursor INTO @dbrole_sqlcmd
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
INSERT INTO #dbrole (dbname, dbrole, dbrole_member, sid, default_schema_name, login_name, db_principal_id) exec(@dbrole_sqlcmd)
FETCH NEXT FROM dbrole_cursor INTO @dbrole_sqlcmd
END
CLOSE dbrole_cursor
DEALLOCATE dbrole_cursor
DELETE FROM #dbrole WHERE sid <> @login_sid
IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM #dbrole where dbrole = 'db_owner')
BEGIN
PRINT '----------------------------------------------'
PRINT'--Login is db_owner of below databases'
PRINT'----------------------------------------------'
END
DECLARE @dbname_dbowner varchar(100), @dbrole_member varchar(100)
DECLARE dbowner_cursor CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT dbname, dbrole_member from #dbrole where dbrole = 'db_owner'
OPEN dbowner_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM dbowner_cursor INTO @dbname_dbowner, @dbrole_member
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
PRINT 'USE ['+@dbname_dbowner+']
EXEC sp_addrolemember ''db_owner'','''+@dbrole_member +'''
GO'
FETCH NEXT FROM dbowner_cursor INTO @dbname_dbowner, @dbrole_member
END
CLOSE dbowner_cursor
DEALLOCATE dbowner_cursor
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Find out what database the login has permission to access (avoid restricted and single user database)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DELETE From #srvrole where MemberName <> @login_name
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#alldb_users_access') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #alldb_users_access
END
SELECT a.*, collation_name INTO #alldb_users_access FROM #alldb_users a inner join sys.databases b ON a.dbname = b.name
WHERE user_access = 0
OR
(user_access = 2 and exists (SELECT * FROM #srvrole WHERE ServerRole in ('dbcreator','sysadmin')))
OR
(user_access = 2 and a.dbname in (SELECT dbname FROM #dbrole WHERE dbrole = 'db_owner' AND login_name = @login_name))
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Remove database that login doesnt have permission to connect
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#dbconnect') is not null
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #dbconnect
END
CREATE TABLE #dbconnect ( dbname varchar(100), connect_status bit)
DECLARE @dbconnect_sqlcmd varchar(1000)
SET @dbconnect_sqlcmd = ''
DECLARE dbbconnect_cursor CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT 'select distinct '''+dbname+''', 1 from ['+dbname+'].sys.database_permissions a
inner join ['+dbname+'].sys.database_principals b on a.grantee_principal_id = b.principal_id
inner join ['+dbname+'].sys.server_principals c on b.sid = c.sid
where c.name = '''+@login_name+''''
from #alldb_users_access
OPEN dbbconnect_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM dbbconnect_cursor INTO @dbconnect_sqlcmd
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
INSERT INTO #dbconnect exec( @dbconnect_sqlcmd)
FETCH NEXT FROM dbbconnect_cursor INTO @dbconnect_sqlcmd
END
CLOSE dbbconnect_cursor
DEALLOCATE dbbconnect_cursor
insert into #dbconnect
select a.dbname, 0 from #alldb_users_access a left join #dbconnect b on a.dbname = b.dbname
where b.dbname is null
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Grant all securable class to login
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRINT ''
PRINT '----------------------------------------------'
PRINT '--Grant all securable class to login '
PRINT '----------------------------------------------'
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#securable_class') is not null
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #securable_class
END
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#dblevel') is not null
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #dblevel
END
create table #dblevel (login_name varchar(256), dbname sysname, dbuser_name varchar(100), class_desc varchar(100), permission_name varchar(100),state_desc varchar(100))
DECLARE @dblevel_sqlcmd varchar(1000)
DECLARE dblevel_cursor CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT 'select '''+@login_name+''' as login_name, '''+dbname+''' as dbname, b.name as dbuser_name, a.class_desc, a.permission_name, state_desc from ['+dbname+'].sys.database_permissions a inner join ['+dbname+'].sys.database_principals b
on a.grantee_principal_id = b.principal_id
where b.name in (''public'','''+name+''') and class_desc = ''DATABASE'''
FROM #alldb_users_access
union
SELECT 'select '''+@login_name+''' as login_name, ''master'' as dbname, b.name as dbuser_name, a.class_desc, a.permission_name, state_desc from sys.server_permissions a inner join sys.server_principals b
on a.grantee_principal_id = b.principal_id
where b.name = '''+@login_name+''''
UNION
SELECT 'select '''+@login_name+''' as login_name, ''master'' as dbname, b.name as dbuser_name, a.class_desc, a.permission_name, state_desc from sys.server_permissions a inner join sys.server_principals b
on a.grantee_principal_id = b.principal_id and class_desc = ''SERVER''
where b.name = ''public'''
OPEN dblevel_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM dblevel_cursor INTO @dblevel_sqlcmd
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
INSERT INTO #dblevel (login_name, dbname, dbuser_name, class_desc, permission_name, state_desc) EXEC (@dblevel_sqlcmd)
FETCH NEXT FROM dblevel_cursor INTO @dblevel_sqlcmd
END
CLOSE dblevel_cursor
DEALLOCATE dblevel_cursor
SET NOCOUNT ON
DELETE FROM #dblevel WHERE permission_name IN ('SELECT','INSERT','UPDATE','DELETE','REFERENCES')
DELETE FROM #dblevel WHERE dbname IN (SELECT dbname FROM #dbrole WHERE sid = @login_sid AND dbrole = 'db_owner')
DECLARE @securable_sqlcmd varchar(150)
DECLARE securable_cursor CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT distinct 'USE ['+dbname+']
GRANT '+permission_name+' TO ['+@login_name+']
GO
' FROM #dblevel
OPEN securable_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM securable_cursor INTO @securable_sqlcmd
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
PRINT @securable_sqlcmd
FETCH NEXT FROM securable_cursor INTO @securable_sqlcmd
END
CLOSE securable_cursor
DEALLOCATE securable_cursor
If you input a bad login name to the script, it will produce an exception; below are the scenarios.
Scenario 1: If you enter either 'sa' or 'public', then you will see results similar to the below snapshot in the SSMS result pane (Fig. 1.1).
Scenario 2: If the login you provide doesn't exist on the SQL instance, then you will see results similar to the below snapshot in the SSMS result pane (Fig 1.2)
Now we can look into the real scenario about a valid login with permissions on server and database-level securables. By replacing 'YourLoginName' with a valid login, below is an example of how the outcome of the script will look. It contains the creation of the database user for the login and the permission setting for server and database securables. If a login is db_owner for any database or is part of sysadmin server role member, then the resulting script will only contain the execution of system stored procedure sp_addrolemember and sp_addsrvrolemember instead of printing out granting securables one by one.