Written by Oleksandr Serebro
Lead Writer | Marketing expert
PostgreSQL, often referred to as Postgres, is a widely used and robust open-source relational database system. Upon installation, it comes with a default username and password for administrative access. However, leaving this default password unchanged can expose your database to security risks.
If you're wondering what the default password for the PostgreSQL user is, there isn't one. Many administrators, especially those familiar with MySQL, often expect there to be a default password when first accessing PostgreSQL on Linux. A key step is figuring out how to access PostgreSQL.
This tutorial will walk you through the steps how to change default postgres password effectively, ensuring your database remains secure from unauthorized access. In addition, we will also discuss the potential risks of keeping the default Postgres password.
The default Postgres password is "postgres," which is assigned to the superuser account during installation. Since this password is pre-set and simple to guess, it poses a security risk if left unchanged. Many users fail to update the default password, making their database vulnerable to unauthorized access.
To protect your database from potential security breaches, it is important to change the default Postgres password to something more secure and complex.
Learn about the Postgres default password and how to change the default Postgres password to improve your database security. This guide will help protect your data from unauthorized access.
In this section, you will explore how to change the default Postgres password.
To change the Postgres default password follow the below steps:
Finally, verify the new password by running the following command:
When prompted, enter the new password.
By following these steps, you have successfully updated the Postgres default password. Remember to keep a strong password secure to prevent unauthorized access.
You need to change the default Postgres password for the following reasons:
In most systems, the default PostgreSQL user is 'postgres', and typically, no password is required for authentication. To set a password, follow these steps:
Log in as a Postgres user and connect to the database:
$ sudo -u postgres psql
If you're successfully connected and see the psql prompt, you're ready to move on to the next step.
If you get an error indicating that the "postgres" database doesn't exist, try connecting to the template1 database instead:
$ sudo -u postgres psql template1
Once connected, you can proceed with changing the password.
During the installation of PostgreSQL, a default user named 'postgres' is automatically created. To see the list of users, including the PostgreSQL user, you can use the following command:
$ cat /etc/passwd
By default, PostgreSQL uses the ident authentication method. This method checks if your operating system username matches the allowed database usernames.
To connect, you must be logged into the system as an authorized user, though PostgreSQL does support optional username mapping.
You can view the pg_hba.conf file, which manages authentication settings, by running this command:
$ cat /var/lib/pgsql/9.3/data/pg_hba.conf
This configuration shows that the ident method is used for local IPv4 connections.
To create a new PostgreSQL user with a secure password, follow these steps within the PostgreSQL psql prompt:
Use the command:
# CREATE USER your_username WITH PASSWORD 'your_password';
Example: If you want to create a user named new_user with the password secure_password, the command would be:
CREATE USER new_user WITH PASSWORD 'secure_password';
If you're logged in as the root user and attempt to access PostgreSQL, you might encounter an error because "root" is not a recognized database user. For example, trying to connect as root might result in this error:
psql: FATAL: role "root" does not exist
To resolve this, you need to switch to PostgreSQL's default user, "Postgres." You can do this by running:
$ su - postgres
After switching to the "postgres" user, attempt to connect again by entering:
# psql
If the connection is successful, you’ll see the PostgreSQL prompt, similar to this:
psql (9.3.9)
Type "help" for help.
postgres=#
Changing the default Postgres password is a simple yet crucial step to enhance your database security. Default Postgres passwords like "Postgres" are highly vulnerable, making your system an easy target for unauthorized access. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can quickly update the password, reducing the risk of data breaches and hacks. It’s vital to use a strong, secure password and follow best practices to keep your database protected.
Are you looking for a reliable hosting solution for your VPS or dedicated server? Or maybe you need SSL services?
Host World provides the perfect solutions for all your requirements. Check out our benefits, and you'll quickly understand why we're the top choice for you.
Share your thoughts and help us improve! Your feedback matters to us