Oninit
Talk to an expert →

Informix Error -32507: Cannot set session authorization.

Cause and resolution

Cannot set session authorization.

You must be a DBA to change the session user unless you are changing to yourself.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-32507 fires when a non-DBA session attempts SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION to a user other than itself — per the official guidance.

  1. The session isn't a DBA, and is changing to a user other than itself, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause; changing to yourself doesn't require DBA.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Have a DBA issue the statement, per the official guidance, if changing to a different user's identity is genuinely needed.
Examples
N/A

No specific triggering statement is documented beyond a non-DBA changing to another user's identity.

Diagnostic Checks
  1. Confirm whether the session holds DBA privilege, and whether the target user is the session's own identity.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -32509 — "Bad session authorization format." A related SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION error, on an invalid user-name argument rather than a missing DBA privilege.
  • -32510 — "User does not have discrete privilege to change session authorization." A related privilege error, on the PRIV_CANSETIDENTITY discrete privilege specifically.

A non-DBA session tried SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION to a different user — only a DBA can do that.