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6.3.4 Ensure 'user options' database flag for Cloud SQL SQL Server instance is not configured

Information

It is recommended that, user options database flag for Cloud SQL SQL Server instance should not be configured.

Rationale:

The user options option specifies global defaults for all users. A list of default query processing options is established for the duration of a user's work session. The user options option allows you to change the default values of the SET options (if the server's default settings are not appropriate).

A user can override these defaults by using the SET statement. You can configure user options dynamically for new logins. After you change the setting of user options, new login sessions use the new setting; current login sessions are not affected. This recommendation is applicable to SQL Server database instances.

Impact:

Setting custom flags via command line on certain instances will cause all omitted flags to be reset to defaults. This may cause you to lose custom flags and could result in unforeseen complications or instance restarts. Because of this, it is recommended you apply these flags changes during a period of low usage.

Solution

From Google Cloud Console

Go to the Cloud SQL Instances page in the Google Cloud Console by visiting https://console.cloud.google.com/sql/instances.

Select the SQL Server instance for which you want to enable to database flag.

Click Edit.

Scroll down to the Flags section.

Click the X next user options flag shown

Click Save to save your changes.

Confirm your changes under Flags on the Overview page.

From Google Cloud CLI

List all Cloud SQL database Instances

gcloud sql instances list

Clear the user options database flag for every Cloud SQL SQL Server database instance using either of the below commands.

Clearing all flags to their default value

gcloud sql instances patch <INSTANCE_NAME> --clear-database-flags

OR
To clear only user options database flag, configure the database flag by overriding the user options. Exclude user options flag and its value, and keep all other flags you want to configure.

gcloud sql instances patch <INSTANCE_NAME> --database-flags [FLAG1=VALUE1,FLAG2=VALUE2]

Note:
This command will overwrite all database flags previously set. To keep those and add new ones, include the values for all flags you want set on the instance; any flag not specifically included is set to its default value. For flags that do not take a value, specify the flag name followed by an equals sign ('=').

Default Value:

By default 'user options' is not configured.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/11843

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT, SYSTEM AND SERVICES ACQUISITION

References: 800-53|CM-1, 800-53|CM-2, 800-53|CM-6, 800-53|CM-7, 800-53|CM-7(1), 800-53|CM-9, 800-53|SA-3, 800-53|SA-8, 800-53|SA-10, CSCv7|5.1

Plugin: GCP

Control ID: ac5db24842b5b59ae1a6fa21b039a0017369e794cbd2733646d19a9ad079ce03