##MS_DatabaseManager## Privilege Escalation (Part 2): The Ownership-Based Security Model

This article is part 2 of a series on ##MS_DatabaseManager## privilege escalation in SQL Server. It examines the ownership-based security model intended for this role, which allows users to create and control databases they own. However, the author reveals that the role includes ALTER ANY DATABASE permission, enabling modification of system databases like master, msdb, and tempdb accessible via guest. This expands the attack surface beyond specific stored procedures to all executable objects in these databases, including SQL Agent jobs, alerts, and Database Mail. The author, a former Microsoft Program Manager who introduced the role, explains the intended strict ownership model versus the actual broader permissions, highlighting a security gap.