Today I could not understand why I was getting ORA-1031 with create database link.

After analysis, I found out a logon trigger that changed the current schema. As Tom always says, triggers are evil…

DEMO:

SQL> create user u1 identified by xxx;

User created.

SQL> grant create session, create database link to u2 identified by xxx;

Grant succeeded.

SQL> create trigger evil after logon on database  begin 
  2  execute immediate 'alter session set current_schema=u1';end;
  3  /

Trigger created.

SQL>
SQL> conn u2/xxx
Connected.
SQL> create database link l;
create database link l
                     *
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01031: insufficient privileges

SQL> show user
USER is "U2"
SQL> select sys_context('USERENV','CURRENT_SCHEMA') from dual;

SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV','CURRENT_SCHEMA')
-----------------------------------------
U1

SQL> alter session set current_schema=u2;

Session altered.

SQL> create database link l;

Database link created.