permissionSecuring MySQL with RHEL6: Understanding Permissions（rhel6mysql）

With RHEL6, the MySQL permission system is the primary security measure for MySQL databases. This system sets privileges for all user accounts, granting access only to those resources and operations that users are allowed to perform. Understanding how the permission system works is essential for proper MySQL security, and this article will provide an overview of how to secure MySQL with RHEL6.

To begin, it is important to understand what permissions are and how they are used in MySQL. Permissions are narrowly defined rules that control the interactions between users and the database. They govern what type of data users can view, what operations they can perform on data, and the level of access they have to the authorization system. There are two types of permissions associated with MySQL: global permissions, which are set at the server level, and database-level permissions, that are set for individual databases.

At the global level, permissions are set using the GRANT command. This command allows administrators to create user accounts and assign global permissions to them. Administrators can use the GRANT command to: create and drop users, assign read and write privileges to databases, and even change user names and passwords. Additionally, global permissions can be revoked with the REVOKE command.

At the database-level, permissions are granted using the GRANT command, just like with global permissions. The only difference is that these permissions only affect the database to which they are assigned. With database-level permissions, administrators can specify which tables and columns users can access, as well as what types of operations they can perform on the data. Again, REVOKE is used to revoke database-level permissions.

In RHEL6, it is also possible to secure MySQL databases with SSL certificates and private keys. SSL certificates are digitally signed documents that are exchanged between the server and the client. These certificates provide encryption, authentication, and data integrity. To use certificates, administrators must generate a private key with the openssl command, generate a certificate signing request (CSR), use the CSR to generate a certificate, and then import the certificate into MySQL.

Finally, it is possible to further secure MySQL databases by implementing IP address restrictions. RHEL6 provides administrators with the option to limit database access to users connecting from specific IP addresses or networks. This can be done by modifying the “bind-address” setting in the my.cnf file. For example, adding the following line to the my.cnf file will only allow connections from the 192.168.0.0/24 network.

bind-address = 192.168.0.0/24

In conclusion, RHEL6 provides administrators with a variety of tools to secure MySQL databases, including the global and database-level permissions system, SSL certificates and private keys, and IP address restrictions. By understanding how these tools work and how to implement them properly, administrators can ensure that only authorized users are able to access and manipulate the database.