MySQL Bugs: #17700: mysql_fix_privilege

Bug #17700	mysql_fix_privilege_tables root password
Submitted:	24 Feb 2006 14:50	Modified:	24 Jan 2007 0:44
Reporter:	Christian Deligant	Email Updates:
Status:	Closed	Impact on me:	None
Category:	MySQL Server: Command-line Clients	Severity:	S3 (Non-critical)
Version:	4.0.27-BK, 4.0.24	OS:	kernel 2.4, debian sarge_1
Assigned to:	Ian Greenhoe	CPU Architecture:	Any

Description:
The mysql_fix_privilege_tables program doesn't accept passwords that are made of space-separated words or have an apostrophe inside.

How to repeat:
example (suppose root's password is "I'm the first")
mysql_fix_privilege_tables I'm the first [this didn't work]
mysql_fix_privilege_tables "I'm the first" [neither did this]
mysql_fix_privilege_tables 'I\'m the first' [nor this]

Suggested fix:
change the behaviour in that it ALWAYS asks for a password, ignoring it if it is empty
OR introduce a -p option like the other programs of the suite

Thank you for a problem report. Please, specify the exact version of MySQL server from which that mysql_fix_privilege_tables is taken.

The exact version of the server running is

4.0.24_Debian-10sarge1-log

But the same "behaviour" was existing in prior versions as well (I allways had to do the workaround when upgrading)

Please, provide the entire test case, starting with setting 'I\'m root' of similar password for the root user. Can you connect with that password to your original server?

Well, obviously, I can connect as root to the server via the "I'm root" password given at request when I do «mysql -uroot -p [enter]» (or other programs like mysqladmin) or in scripts invoking «mysql -uroot -p"I'm root"»...

As stated by the mysql_fix_privilege_tables script (run as root), if the script doesn't work I have to provide the root password as an argument to the script, even if it is known (and said!) this is insecure. But neither of these did work:
- mysql_fix_privilege_tables I'm root [enter]
- mysql_fix_privilege_tables  "I'm root" [enter]
- mysql_fix_privilege_tables 'I\m root' [enter]
- mysql_fix_privilege_tables -p"I'm root" [enter]
- mysql_fix_privilege_tables -p [enter]

So I logged on in Mysql as root, changed the password with a simpler one (a), exit Mysql, relaunched the script with

mysql_fix_privilege_tables a [enter]

went back in mysql to put the old password again.

For further explanation... try this on a fake Mysql server

#> mysqladmin -uroot -p password "I'm root" [enter]

(at the prompt give the "old" root password)
now with

#> mysql_fix_privilege_tables 

you are asking to put the new password as an argument, but doing 

#> mysql_fix_privilege_tables [ I'm root | "I'm root" | 'I\'m root' | -p ]

prints out help pages instead of "doing the job"
I guess the help pages are of all the programs cited in the script that don't understand that kind of password...

Hope this helps!

PS: don't forget to revert to the old password with
#> mysqladmin -uroot -p password "[OLD PASSWORD]" [enter]

writing "I'm root" (without quotes or escapes) on the prompt

Verified just as described in the last two comments. Even adding option --password="I'm root" etc. (like suggested int the script itself) does not help. Works OK with a password of one word, like "root".

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/8157

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/9873

ChangeSet@1.2528, 2006-08-01 00:15:16-07:00, igreenhoe@anubis.greendragongames.com +1 -0
  Fix for bug #17700 (mysql_fix_privilege_tables cannot handle a
  password with embedded spaces)
  
  Problem:  Original code written assuming password contains no spaces.
  Further, because of how sh interprets characters in variables, you
  cannot do the "simple solution".
  
  Solution:  Move the "was a password provided" check to the end. This
  allows us to correctly quote the password argument when passed to the
  mysql client program.  Addendum:  Put this check inside of a shell fn
  to simplify the code.

Noted in 4.1.23, 5.0.32, 5.1.15 changelogs.

mysql_fix_privilege_tables did not handle a password containing 
embedded space or apostrophe characters.