Reverse-Skill Database Requirements: What You Need to Assess Database Security

The Reverse-Skill framework has no native database dependencies—it orchestrates external tools to audit existing PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL, MongoDB, and Redis instances.

Reverse-Skill is a modular skill-router designed for security testing workflows. The database-security skill provides a structured approach to evaluate database configurations, permissions, and vulnerabilities without requiring the framework itself to host or manage any database server.

Understanding Reverse-Skill's Database Architecture

According to the source code in zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill, the framework operates as a stateless orchestration layer. The database assessment functionality lives entirely within the skills/database-security/ directory and relies on your ability to connect to target databases in your own environment.

Key Architectural Files

File Path	Purpose
skills/database-security/SKILL.md	Defines the complete database security workflow and toolchain
skills/MASTER-ROUTING.md	Registers database-security as routing entry R35
skills/routing.md	Maps database instance security to high-level categories
skills/scripts/master-route.ps1	Executes the R35 routing logic
docs/ARCHITECTURE.md	Explains skill composition patterns

Target Database Requirements

To execute a database security assessment with Reverse-Skill, you need the following infrastructure in place:

Required: A Reachable Target Instance

The minimum requirement is a database server accessible over the network. This can be:

• On-premise deployments
• Cloud RDS instances (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Containerized databases (Docker, Kubernetes)

The framework does not provision this infrastructure—you point it at existing systems.

Required: Valid Access Credentials

Authentication takes one of two forms:

• Authorized credentials for legitimate penetration testing
• Exploitable misconfigurations that permit unauthenticated access (for research/lab environments only)

The SKILL.md file explicitly warns against destructive operations on production databases without express permission.

Supported Database Engines

The Reverse-Skill database-security workflow covers these engines:

• PostgreSQL — configuration, role enumeration, privilege escalation paths
• MySQL / MariaDB — user management, dangerous variables, UDF exploitation
• Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) — linked server abuse, xp_cmdshell evaluation
• MongoDB — NoSQL injection vectors, unauthenticated access checks
• Redis — command execution via module loading, keyspace enumeration

No schema version requirements exist—the framework guides enumeration and validation regardless of your target's specific build.

Required Toolchain

Reverse-Skill does not embed database drivers. You must install these external tools in your execution environment:

Tool	Function
Native CLI clients (psql, mysql, mongo, redis-cli)	Direct database interaction
sqlmap	Automated SQL injection and database takeover
nuclei	Template-based scanning for known database exposures
Cloud provider consoles	RDS/Aurora/Azure SQL enumeration

These tools perform the actual heavy-lifting; Reverse-Skill provides the workflow structure.

Practical Execution Examples

Step 1: Enumerate Target Databases

Connect using native clients to verify reachability and list structures:

# PostgreSQL: list all databases

psql -h <host> -U <user> -d <db> -c "\l"

# MySQL: enumerate tables

mysql -h <host> -u <user> -p <db> -e "SHOW TABLES;"

# MongoDB: check database statistics

mongo <host>/<db> --eval "db.stats()"

# Redis: inspect key count and memory

redis-cli -h <host> INFO keyspace

Step 2: Test for Injection Vectors

Use sqlmap against web applications that interact with your target database:

sqlmap -u "https://example.com/search?q=test" \
  --dbms=mysql \
  --risk=3 \
  --level=5 \
  --batch

The --dbms flag should match your target: mysql, postgresql, mssql, or oracle.

Step 3: Scan for Known Exposures

Run nuclei with database-specific templates:

nuclei -u https://target.example.com \
  -t templates/database/ \
  -tags mysql,postgres,redis

Step 4: Validate Dangerous Configurations

Check for high-risk settings that the Reverse-Skill workflow flags:

# MySQL: verify dangerous file operations

mysql -h <host> -u <user> -p -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'local_infile';"

# PostgreSQL: check superuser roles

psql -h <host> -U <user> -d <db> -c "\du"

# Redis: test for protected mode bypass

redis-cli -h <host> CONFIG GET protected-mode

Safety Guardrails in the Workflow

The skills/database-security/SKILL.md file structures assessment into four phases with explicit warnings:

1. Network exposure — verify reachability without triggering alerts
2. Account/role analysis — enumerate users and permissions
3. Configuration review — identify dangerous variables and settings
4. Exploitation verification — confirm findings only in authorized environments

The skill deliberately avoids destructive commands like DROP, DELETE, or SHUTDOWN in its documented examples.

Summary

• Reverse-Skill requires no database server of its own—it is a workflow router
• You provide a reachable target (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL, MongoDB, or Redis) and appropriate credentials
• All technical work is performed by external tools you install separately
• The framework organizes assessment into four phases: exposure, authentication, configuration, and verification
• Source documentation in skills/database-security/SKILL.md governs safe execution

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Reverse-Skill include a built-in database for testing?

No. As implemented in zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill, the framework contains no database server, embedded or otherwise. You must connect it to existing database instances in your environment. The database-security skill assumes you have already deployed targets for assessment.

What authentication methods does the database-security skill support?

The skill accepts any authentication mechanism your target database and native CLI clients support. This includes password-based login, certificate-based authentication, Kerberos for MSSQL, and SCRAM for MongoDB. The workflow also covers unauthenticated access scenarios for vulnerability research.

Can I use Reverse-Skill to audit cloud-managed databases like AWS RDS?

Yes. The skill explicitly lists cloud provider console tools alongside sqlmap and nuclei. For RDS, Aurora, or Azure SQL, you typically use the vendor CLI (aws rds, az sql) to enumerate instances, then connect with standard database clients for detailed assessment.

Which file defines the complete database security workflow?

The authoritative source is skills/database-security/SKILL.md. This file specifies the four-phase assessment structure, supported engines, required tools, and safety warnings. The skills/MASTER-ROUTING.md file then maps this skill to routing identifier R35 for execution via skills/scripts/master-route.ps1.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}