Why is meta-command execution being blocked on AWS RDS PostgreSQL ?

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Am currently running PostgreSQL 15.5. There is an upgrade available to 15.5-R2 which under Release Notes says "Blocked the meta-command execution, for example, \copy, \i, and \lo_export, in psql. " We are trying to understand why as this implies that basic commands - such as \d, \d tablename, \df - can no longer be used. No explanation was provided by AWS RDS.

1 Answer
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The blocking of specific meta-commands like \copy, \i, and \lo_export is likely a security and safety measure. By restricting these commands, the PostgreSQL maintainers (or AWS, if this is an AWS-specific patch) aim to prevent potentially unsafe operations that could be exploited to perform unauthorized actions within the database, especially in a managed environment like Amazon RDS where security and stability are paramount.

If AWS RDS's release notes do not provide sufficient explanation for this change, consider reaching out to AWS Support for more detailed information. Additionally, keeping an eye on PostgreSQL official documentation or mailing lists can provide insights into changes that come with each release, especially for security-related adjustments.

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EXPERT
answered 21 days ago
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EXPERT
Artem
reviewed 17 days ago

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