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What is a stored procedure with a padlock icon in SQL Server 2005?

Asked 2009-06-22T14:29:03.150
12

I see some stored procedures in one database I'm managing that have the regular stored procedure icon, but with a little padlock next to them.
The differences I see is that I can't "modify" them, and if I try to script them, it says:

Text is Encrypted.

Is this because these are CLR stored procedures?
Are they "regular" procedures, but encrypted/protected somehow?
Is there any way to get to the code of those (either the T-SQL or the IL)?

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2 Answers

15

The padlock means that the stored procedure has been encrypted using the WITH ENCRYPTION hint (see CREATE PROC in BOL for more information).

It doesn't mean that it's a CLR stored procedure.

Here's a SQL Server Magazine article on how to decrypt objects which are encrypted using the WITH ENCRYPTION hint.

There are also third party tools which do the same thing - native sproc encryption is not meant to be a strong level of encryption.

Edit: Here's another, but I haven't tested it on SQL Server 2005 or later.

answered 2009-06-22T14:36:12.153
5

As well as encrypted, it also means you don't have VIEW DEFINITION rights, so can't see the code of the stored procedure.

answered 2009-06-22T14:37:34.693

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