SAS statements and functions that access a SAS data file (for example, a SAS data set) as an external file can detect that the file is bound to metadata, at which point SAS should not allow permissions such as accessMetadata on the bound file. Currently, however, metadata permissions are not honored when you use SAS statements and functions to access a SAS data file as an external file. For example, SAS functions such as FREAD or FDELETE enable you to manipulate metadata-bound SAS data sets. You can manipulate a data set regardless of whether you have successful authentication to the metadata server or whether the file has appropriate permissions.

Binding data to metadata cannot prevent the use of operating system commands on files and directories if you have the appropriate operating system permission. For example, a user who has Write access to an operating system directory (for example, in order to create physical tables) can use host commands to delete and replace files within that directory. Such commands operate independently of any metadata binding.

Currently, there is no workaround or solution for this problem.

Click the Hot Fix tab in this note to access the hot fix for this issue.

Operating System and Release Information

A fix for this issue for Base SAS 9.3_M2 is available at: