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From: Mat Arye <[email protected]>
To: pgsql-hackers <[email protected]>
Subject: Read-only connection mode for AI workflows.
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2025 12:46:47 -0400
Message-ID: <CADsUR0B9bcJQKYHyUMnWcODGzF5+AdeToawULkkTKfrq32Z-8w@mail.gmail.com> (raw)

Hi All,

A common desire for AI agents accessing the database is to have read-only
access for the agents. You can create special roles with explicit
assignment or use pg_read_all_data but this is cumbersome and not very
ergonomic. Often, people want to use an existing role but as part of a
connection that is marked "read-only". This can be done with
the transaction_read_only GUC, however the AI could unset that in all kinds
of clever ways by executing SQL commands.

For example, a popular MCP server (I am NOT affiliated with) goes through
all kinds of hoops to avoid this: https://github.com/crystaldba/postgres-mcp

It would be nice to force a connection into read-only mode. Connection
setup is usually not AI controlled while the SQL executed sometimes is.
That's why being able to control read-only mode on the connection level
would be useful.

I'd be happy to submit a patch if there is interest in this feature
(especially if I get some pointers to where people would like to see this
implemented).

Thanks,
Mat
TigerData

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