PostgreSQL Anonymizer 3.2 : Faster Pseudonymization

PostgreSQL Anonymizer 3.2 replaces its core pseudonymization functions with a new implementation that claims 40x performance improvement. The change affects all masking strategies, dynamic, static, replica, backup, views, and wrappers, by introducing seeded_* functions that maintain backward compatibility only through deprecated pseudo_* aliases. The upgrade requires existing users to modify queries and scripts to adopt the faster functions, which also add localization support for region-specific data generation.

The performance gain comes with significant security implications. Three critical vulnerabilities patched in this release could allow privilege escalation, particularly on PostgreSQL 14 or instances upgraded from earlier versions. The extension now enforces a security barrier that prevents superusers from executing masking functions by default, requiring either role separation or explicit configuration overrides. This change may break existing workflows that rely on superuser privileges for masking operations.

Adoption costs include both functional and operational adjustments. Users must re-export masking rules due to JSON schema changes between versions 3.1 and 3.2. The deprecation of pseudo_* functions, while maintaining backward compatibility for now, signals an eventual breaking change that will require proactive migration. The extension remains compatible with major DBaaS providers and PostgreSQL forks, but the security fixes and privilege restrictions may require additional testing for production deployments.