Can't execute OS-level command from java stored proc

Question

I've written a couple simple java stored procs, the first of which writes an file and the second attempts a chown on it. I can write the file (which is written as the oracle user) just fine. I need to chown it, but can't. Here's the first proc:
public static String writefile()
String fileName = "/joetest/test.xml";
try {
File f = new File(fileName);
FileOutputStream out = new FileOutputStream(f);
PrintStream p = new PrintStream(out);
p.println("this is only a test");
p.close();
return "create file successful!!!";
} catch (Exception e) {
return "Exception occurred writing file:"+e;
Here's the proc I've been stuggling with:
public static String chown(String inString)
String[] command = {"/bin/sh", "-c", "/usr/bin/chown notjoe /joetest/test.xml"};
if (inString != null) {
command[2] = inString;
try {
Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(command);
return "Ownership change success!! "+p;
} catch (Exception e) {
return "Ownership change failure?? err="+e;
The package is created with:
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE JOE.THISISATEST AS
FUNCTION writefile
return VARCHAR2
AS
LANGUAGE java
NAME 'thisisatest.writefile() return java.lang.String';
FUNCTION chown(Param1 VARCHAR2)
return VARCHAR2
AS
LANGUAGE java
NAME 'thisisatest.chown(java.lang.String) return java.lang.String';
end;
And I've granted the following privileges:
begin
dbms_java.grant_permission('JOE', 'java.io.FilePermission', '/joetest/test.xml', 'read, write, execute, delete');
end;
begin
dbms_java.grant_permission('JOE', 'java.io.FilePermission', '/usr/bin/chown', 'execute');
end;
begin
dbms_java.grant_permission('JOE', 'SYS:java.lang.RuntimePermission', 'writeFileDescriptor', '');
end;
begin
dbms_java.grant_permission('JOE', 'SYS:java.lang.RuntimePermission', 'readFileDescriptor', '');
end;
Here's the error that I'm getting:
ORA-06502: PL/SQL: numeric or value error: character string buffer too small
Coincidentally, this is the same error that I used to get when I wrote the file without having been granted write privileges. Once I granted myself the proper 'write' permissions I could perform file IO just fine. Is there some runtime permission that I need to grant myself to run chown? I'm just guessing, as I can't find any permission like that in the java documentation. I have 'execute' permission on /usr/bin/chown and the oracle user can execute the command I'm attempting from the command line. ARRRRRGH.
I am at my wits end with this. I've tried what seems like a thousand different syntaxes for the OS command and ran it from many different directories. Anyone have any thoughts at all as to why this is happening? I'm just clutching at straws now...

Answer 1

Hmmmm. Granting 'execute' on '<<ALL FILES>>' to user JOE fixes this problem:
begin
dbms_java.grant_permission('JOE', 'java.io.FilePermission', '<<ALL FILES>>', 'execute');
end;
My security folks will not allow this when I port to production, but at least it is something.
Message was edited by:
user603023