Mac® Security Bible

31.7. Securing MySQL

MySQL is a popular open-source database frequently used for blogs and other web-hosted content because it's easy to access using languages such as Perl and PHP. Administrators and users can work with MySQL databases either from the local command line (using Terminal), a remote command line (using SSH), a web browser (with the addition of management software such as phpMyAdmin or Webmin), or any of numerous third-party client programs that communicate directly to the server and offer a (semi-) graphical interface.

By default, Mac OS X Server's built-in MySQL server is turned off. Before you turn it on for the first time, you should set a root password for it, which provides unlimited administrative control. Afterward, you can use any of the aforementioned methods to add more user accounts and specify with great precision what operations each account may perform. You can also choose whether to permit direct network access to the MySQL server. This is usually desirable because remote administration is frequently necessary, but it entails a slightly increased security risk. The alternative is to allow only local users and programs running on the server itself to access the MySQL service.

To configure security settings for MySQL, follow these steps:

1. Open Server Admin, which is located in /Applications/Server.

2. In the sidebar on the left, select your server.

3. If no services are listed under the server name, click the disclosure triangle next to the server name to reveal ...