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7 --><title>mod_authz_dbm - Apache HTTP Server</title><link href="../style/css/manual.css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" type="text/css" title="Main stylesheet" /><link href="../style/css/manual-loose-100pc.css" rel="alternate stylesheet" media="all" type="text/css" title="No Sidebar - Default font size" /><link href="../style/css/manual-print.css" rel="stylesheet" media="print" type="text/css" /><link href="../images/favicon.ico" rel="shortcut icon" /></head><body><div id="page-header"><p class="menu"><a href="../mod/">Modules</a> | <a href="../mod/directives.html">Directives</a> | <a href="../faq/">FAQ</a> | <a href="../glossary.html">Glossary</a> | <a href="../sitemap.html">Sitemap</a></p><p class="apache">Apache HTTP Server Version 2.1</p><img alt="" src="../images/feather.gif" /></div><div class="up"><a href="./"><img title="<-" alt="<-" src="../images/left.gif" /></a></div><div id="path"><a href="http://www.apache.org/">Apache</a> > <a href="http://httpd.apache.org/">HTTP Server</a> > <a href="http://httpd.apache.org/docs-project/">Documentation</a> > <a href="../">Version 2.1</a> > <a href="./">Modules</a></div><div id="page-content"><div id="preamble"><h1>Apache Module mod_authz_dbm</h1><table class="module"><tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#Description">Description:
8 </a></th><td>Group authorization using DBM files</td></tr><tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#Status">Status:
9 </a></th><td>Extension</td></tr><tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#ModuleIdentifier">Module Identifier:
10 </a></th><td>authz_dbm_module</td></tr><tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#SourceFile">Source File:
11 </a></th><td>mod_authz_dbm.c</td></tr><tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#Compatibility">Compatibility:
12 </a></th><td>Available in Apache 2.0.44 and later</td></tr></table><h3>Summary</h3>
13 <p>This module provides authorization capabilities so that
14 authenticated users can be allowed or denied access to portions
15 of the web site by group membership. Similar functionality is
16 provided by <code class="module"><a href="../mod/mod_authz_groupfile.html">mod_authz_groupfile</a></code>.</p>
17 </div><div id="quickview"><h3 class="directives">Directives</h3><ul id="toc"><li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#authdbmgroupfile">AuthDBMGroupFile</a></li>
18 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#authzdbmauthoritative">AuthzDBMAuthoritative</a></li>
19 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#authzdbmtype">AuthzDBMType</a></li>
20 </ul><h3>See also</h3><ul class="seealso"><li><code class="directive"><a href="../mod/core.html#require">Require</a></code></li><li><code class="directive"><a href="../mod/core.html#satisfy">Satisfy</a></code></li></ul></div><div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div><div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="AuthDBMGroupFile" id="AuthDBMGroupFile">AuthDBMGroupFile</a> <a name="authdbmgroupfile" id="authdbmgroupfile">Directive</a></h2><table class="directive"><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:
21 </a></th><td>Sets the name of the database file containing the list
22 of user groups for authentication</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:
23 </a></th><td><code>AuthDBMGroupFile <em>file-path</em></code></td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:
24 </a></th><td>directory, .htaccess</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:
25 </a></th><td>AuthConfig</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:
26 </a></th><td>Extension</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:
27 </a></th><td>mod_authz_dbm</td></tr></table>
28 <p>The <code class="directive">AuthDBMGroupFile</code> directive sets the
29 name of a DBM file containing the list of user groups for user
30 authentication. <em>File-path</em> is the absolute path to the
33 <p>The group file is keyed on the username. The value for a
34 user is a comma-separated list of the groups to which the users
35 belongs. There must be no whitespace within the value, and it
36 must never contain any colons.</p>
38 <p>Security: make sure that the
39 <code class="directive">AuthDBMGroupFile</code> is stored outside the
40 document tree of the web-server; do <em>not</em> put it in the
41 directory that it protects. Otherwise, clients will be able to
42 download the <code class="directive">AuthDBMGroupFile</code> unless
43 otherwise protected.</p>
45 <p>Combining Group and Password DBM files: In some cases it is
46 easier to manage a single database which contains both the
47 password and group details for each user. This simplifies any
48 support programs that need to be written: they now only have to
49 deal with writing to and locking a single DBM file. This can be
50 accomplished by first setting the group and password files to
51 point to the same DBM:</p>
53 <div class="example"><p><code>
54 AuthDBMGroupFile /www/userbase<br />
55 AuthDBMUserFile /www/userbase
58 <p>The key for the single DBM is the username. The value consists
61 <div class="example"><p><code>Unix Crypt-ed Password : List of Groups [ : (ignored)
64 <p>The password section contains the Unix <code>crypt()</code>
65 password as before. This is followed by a colon and the comma
66 separated list of groups. Other data may optionally be left in the
67 DBM file after another colon; it is ignored by the authentication
68 module. This is what www.telescope.org uses for its combined
69 password and group database.</p>
70 </div><div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div><div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="AuthzDBMAuthoritative" id="AuthzDBMAuthoritative">AuthzDBMAuthoritative</a> <a name="authzdbmauthoritative" id="authzdbmauthoritative">Directive</a></h2><table class="directive"><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:
71 </a></th><td>Sets whether authorization will be passed on to lower level modules</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:
72 </a></th><td><code>AuthzDBMAuthoritative on|off</code></td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Default">Default:
73 </a></th><td><code>AuthzDBMAuthoritative on</code></td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:
74 </a></th><td>directory, .htaccess</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:
75 </a></th><td>AuthConfig</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:
76 </a></th><td>Extension</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:
77 </a></th><td>mod_authz_dbm</td></tr></table>
79 <p>Setting the <code class="directive">AuthzDBMAuthoritative</code>
80 directive explicitly to <strong>'off'</strong> allows for both
81 authentication and authorization to be passed on to lower level
82 modules (as defined in the <code>Configuration</code> and
83 <code>modules.c</code> file if there is <strong>no userID</strong>
84 or <strong>rule</strong> matching the supplied userID. If there is
85 a userID and/or rule specified; the usual password and access
86 checks will be applied and a failure will give an Authorization
89 <p>So if a userID appears in the database of more than one module;
90 or if a valid <code class="directive"><a href="../mod/core.html#require">Require</a></code>
91 directive applies to more than one module; then the first module
92 will verify the credentials; and no access is passed on;
93 regardless of the <code class="directive">AuthAuthoritative</code> setting.</p>
95 <p>A common use for this is in conjunction with one of the
96 auth providers; such as <code class="module"><a href="../mod/mod_authn_file.html">mod_authn_file</a></code>. Whereas this
97 DBM module supplies the bulk of the user credential checking; a
98 few (administrator) related accesses fall through to a lower
99 level with a well protected .htpasswd file.</p>
101 <p>By default, control is not passed on and an unknown userID
102 or rule will result in an Authorization Required reply. Not
103 setting it thus keeps the system secure and forces an NCSA
104 compliant behaviour.</p>
106 <p>Security: Do consider the implications of allowing a user to
107 allow fall-through in his .htaccess file; and verify that this
108 is really what you want; Generally it is easier to just secure
109 a single .htpasswd file, than it is to secure a database which
110 might have more access interfaces.</p>
111 </div><div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div><div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="AuthzDBMType" id="AuthzDBMType">AuthzDBMType</a> <a name="authzdbmtype" id="authzdbmtype">Directive</a></h2><table class="directive"><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:
112 </a></th><td>Sets the type of database file that is used to
113 store passwords</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:
114 </a></th><td><code>AuthzDBMType default|SDBM|GDBM|NDBM|DB</code></td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Default">Default:
115 </a></th><td><code>AuthzDBMType default</code></td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:
116 </a></th><td>directory, .htaccess</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:
117 </a></th><td>AuthConfig</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:
118 </a></th><td>Extension</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:
119 </a></th><td>mod_authz_dbm</td></tr><tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Compatibility">Compatibility:
120 </a></th><td>Available in version 2.0.30 and later.</td></tr></table>
122 <p>Sets the type of database file that is used to store the passwords.
123 The default database type is determined at compile time. The
124 availability of other types of database files also depends on
125 <a href="../install.html#dbm">compile-time settings</a>.</p>
127 <p>It is crucial that whatever program you use to create your password
128 files is configured to use the same type of database.</p>
129 </div></div><div id="footer"><p class="apache">Maintained by the <a href="http://httpd.apache.org/docs-project/">Apache HTTP Server Documentation Project</a></p><p class="menu"><a href="../mod/">Modules</a> | <a href="../mod/directives.html">Directives</a> | <a href="../faq/">FAQ</a> | <a href="../glossary.html">Glossary</a> | <a href="../sitemap.html">Sitemap</a></p></div></body></html>