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Configuration Snippet Parameter Snippet

backslash_quote

  1. Documentation
  2. Version and Platform Compatibility
  3. Previous PostgreSQL Versions
  4. backslash_quote
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Type: enum
Default: safe_encoding
Context: user
Restart: false
Values: [safe_encoding, on, off]
Sets whether "\'" is allowed in string literals

This controls whether a quote mark can be represented by \' in a string literal. The preferred, SQL-standard way to represent a quote mark is by doubling it ('') but PostgreSQL has historically also accepted \'. However, use of \' creates security risks because in some client character set encodings, there are multibyte characters in which the last byte is numerically equivalent to ASCII \. If client-side code does escaping incorrectly then an SQL-injection attack is possible. This risk can be prevented by making the server reject queries in which a quote mark appears to be escaped by a backslash. The allowed values of backslash_quote are on (allow \' always), off (reject always), and safe_encoding (allow only if client encoding does not allow ASCII \ within a multibyte character). safe_encoding is the default setting.

Note that in a standard-conforming string literal, \ just means \ anyway. This parameter only affects the handling of non-standard-conforming literals, including escape string syntax (E'...').

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If you have cleaned up your application code, you can set this to 'off' to help lock down the database. Older PHP applications will require the insecure setting of 'on'.
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