Lost permissions on WWV_FLOW_FILE_OBJECTS$

Question

We seem to have lost permissions in APEX 2.2 to some of the internal tables. As seen below we can access a table in SQL*Plus with SQL but not through a procedure.
SQL> DECLARE
2 v_NAME varchar2(90);
3 BEGIN
4
5 SELECT filename INTO v_name
6 from flows_files.WWV_FLOW_FILE_OBJECTS$ where name = 'F8817/incident2.csv';
7 dbms_output.put_line(v_name);
8 end;
9 /
incident2.csv
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> create or replace PROCEDURE hdl_test as
2 v_NAME varchar2(90);
3 BEGIN
4
5 SELECT name INTO v_name
6 from flows_files.WWV_FLOW_FILE_OBJECTS$ where name = 'F8817/incident2.csv';
7 dbms_output.put_line(v_name);
8 end;
9 /
Warning: Procedure created with compilation errors.
SQL> show errors
Errors for PROCEDURE HDL_TEST:
LINE/COL ERROR
5/3 PL/SQL: SQL Statement ignored
6/22 PL/SQL: ORA-00942: table or view does not exist
When I compare the object grants in our APEX instance and my fresh XE install on my laptop, there are a lot of grants in my XE instance that don't exist in APEX. Some of those grants are to the flows_* schemas. Could we have lost a bunch of grants somehow, and if so how can we get them back? Is it safe to copy the grants from EX to APEX?
Thanks,
Harry

Answer 1

Harry,
I conclude that you have Application Express 2.2. You either installed it fresh or upgraded from an earlier version.
You also have Application Express on your XE database.
You observe differences in privileges (those you describe as "lost") between 2.2 and some earlier version, between 2.2 and XE or between 2.2 and the same 2.2 at some earlier time, I cannot tell which you mean.
The correct configuration is that no select privileges are granted to public on wwv_flow_file_objects$. Users are to use the apex_application_files view (wwv_flow_files) while using the SQL Workshop or from developed applications in workspaces. Access through SQL*Plus is not supported.
Scott