Comms Database Platform Security Guide

The Platform Security Model imposes certain read/write restrictions on applications accessing data from the Comms Database. Each table, column and record is guarded by the default capabilities for the whole database, though a range of capabilities can be used to guard the data. In addition, each element can have extra levels of access control.

The capabilities required to read or write an element of data in the Comms Database can be set at phone build time, by licensees, and can be changed at run time by a well trusted process.

All the tables, columns and record has access control settings with a combination of one or more settings:

Standard data

Normal data in the Comms Database available for read/write purposes, available to all applications.

Hidden data

The data that does not generally need to be visible to the applications.

Read-Only-But-Deletable data

The applications generally do not modify this type of data but can set and read them. This type is supported for compatibility of CommDb.

Private data

This type of data is not readable by general applications: for example data such as a private pin number or similar.

Protected data

This type of data can be read by any applications but only privileged applications can set, modify or delete the data.

The choice of the capabilities is left to the licensee to decide, however Symbian sets a range of capabilities that can be used to guard the access to the data in the database . The following table explains the various capability requirements for accessing the Comms Database:

Task Required Capability To read standard data from the table Licensee dependent, but typically "No Capabilities" To read hidden data The capabilities required to read standard data To read Read-Only But Deletable data The capabilities required to read standard data To read private data The capabilities required to read standard data plus "ReadDeviceData" To read protected data The capabilities required to read standard data To write, modify or delete standard data Licensee dependent, but typically "WriteDeviceData" To write, modify or delete hidden data The capabilities required to write standard data To write, modify or delete Read-Only-But Deletable data The capabilities required to write standard data To write, modify or delete private data The capabilities required to write standard data plus "ReadDeviceData" To write, modify or delete protected data The capabilities required to write standard data plus "NetworkControl"

CCommsDbProtectConnectPrefTableView functions

CCommsDatabaseProtect functions

CCommsDbProtectTableView functions

CCommsDatabaseBase functions

CCommDatabase functions

CCommsDbConnectionPrefTableView functions

CCommsDbTableView functions

CCommsDbTemplateRecord fucntions