nordabiz/TEST_RESULTS_SHELL_SCRIPTS.md

Shell Script Validation Test Results

Test Date: 2026-01-10 Subtask: 5.2 - Verify shell script fails safely without PGPASSWORD

Test Overview

This document verifies that the shell script view_maturity_results.sh properly validates the presence of the PGPASSWORD environment variable and provides clear error messages when it is not set.

Test Methodology

Test 1: Missing PGPASSWORD Environment Variable

Command:

bash ./view_maturity_results.sh

Expected Behavior:

• Script should detect missing PGPASSWORD
• Display clear error message
• Exit with non-zero status code

Actual Output:

ERROR: PGPASSWORD environment variable is not set
Please set it before running this script:
  export PGPASSWORD='your_database_password'
  ./view_maturity_results.sh

Exit Code: 1 ✅

Result: ✅ PASS

Analysis

Error Message Quality

The error message is clear, actionable, and user-friendly:

1. Problem Identification: "PGPASSWORD environment variable is not set"
2. Solution Provided: Shows exact command to set the variable
3. Usage Example: Shows how to run the script after setting the variable
4. Security Context: Script header includes CWE-798 warning

Code Implementation

The validation check (lines 11-18 of view_maturity_results.sh):

# Check if PGPASSWORD is set
if [ -z "$PGPASSWORD" ]; then
    echo "ERROR: PGPASSWORD environment variable is not set"
    echo "Please set it before running this script:"
    echo "  export PGPASSWORD='your_database_password'"
    echo "  ./view_maturity_results.sh"
    exit 1
fi

Implementation Quality:

• ✅ Uses standard bash test [ -z "$VAR" ] to check for empty/unset variable
• ✅ Exits with status 1 (error) to prevent script execution
• ✅ Placed at the beginning of script (before any database operations)
• ✅ Clear, multi-line error message
• ✅ Provides actionable instructions

Security Improvements

The script includes comprehensive security documentation:

1. Header Comments (lines 4-9):

   • Clear usage instructions
   • Security warning about CWE-798
   • Example of proper usage

2. No Hardcoded Credentials:

   • All 3 previous instances of PGPASSWORD='NordaBiz2025Secure' removed
   • Now uses $PGPASSWORD environment variable
   • Script fails fast if credentials not provided securely

Summary

Status: ✅ ALL TESTS PASSED

The view_maturity_results.sh script successfully:

• ✅ Validates PGPASSWORD environment variable is set
• ✅ Provides clear, actionable error messages
• ✅ Exits with appropriate error code (1)
• ✅ Includes comprehensive security documentation
• ✅ No hardcoded credentials remain

Recommendations

1. Production Deployment: Consider documenting the use of .pgpass file as an alternative to PGPASSWORD environment variable (more secure for automated scripts)
2. Additional Testing: In production environment, verify the script works correctly when PGPASSWORD IS set
3. Documentation: The docs/SECURITY.md file already includes comprehensive instructions for both PGPASSWORD and .pgpass configuration

Conclusion

Subtask 5.2 is COMPLETE. The shell script properly validates credentials and provides excellent user feedback when credentials are missing.