It can be quite common to create a “Read Only” database user account in an Oracle database.  To do this is pretty simple using the principle of least privilege:

CREATE USER READ_ONLY IDENTIFIED BY "password";
GRANT CREATE SESSION TO READ_ONLY;

Expected output:

SQL> CREATE USER READ_ONLY IDENTIFIED BY "password";

User created.

SQL> GRANT CREATE SESSION TO READ_ONLY;

Grant succeeded.

SQL>

Depending on the Oracle Version, it’s recommend to use “READ” object privilege new in 12.1.0.2 instead of “SELECT” to prevent locking.  See the following blog post for more info:
New READ Object Privilege in 12cR1

PLEASE NOTE: For anyone using Oracle Version prior to 12.1.0.2, replace the object privilege “READ” with “SELECT“.

To read specific tables for a schema:

SET HEADING OFF
SET PAGES 9999 LINES 400
SPOOL TABLE_GRANTS.sql
SELECT 'GRANT READ ON ' || OWNER || '.' || TABLE_NAME || ' TO READ_ONLY;'
FROM DBA_TABLES
WHERE OWNER IN ('ZEDDBA')
ORDER BY 1;
SPOOL OFF
@TABLE_GRANTS.sql
!rm TABLE_GRANTS.sql

Expected output, where you can see the user “READ_ONLY” able to select from the table owned by user “ZEDDBA“:

SQL> SET HEADING OFF
SQL> SET PAGES 9999 LINES 400
SQL> SPOOL TABLE_GRANTS.sql
SQL> SELECT 'GRANT READ ON ' || OWNER || '.' || TABLE_NAME || ' TO READ_ONLY;'
 2 FROM DBA_TABLES
 3 WHERE OWNER IN ('ZEDDBA')
 4 ORDER BY 1;

GRANT READ ON ZEDDBA.DEMO TO READ_ONLY;

SQL> SPOOL OFF
SQL> @TABLE_GRANTS.sql
SP2-0734: unknown command beginning "SQL> SELEC..." - rest of line ignored.

Grant succeeded.

SP2-0734: unknown command beginning "SQL> SPOOL..." - rest of line ignored.
SQL> !rm TABLE_GRANTS.sql

SQL> conn read_only/password
Connected.
SQL> SELECT * FROM ZEDDBA.DEMO;

Read Only example.

SQL> exit

To read all tables in the databases:

GRANT READ ANY TABLE TO READ_ONLY;

Expected output, where you can see the user “READ_ONLY” able to select from the table owned by user “ZEDDBA“, even after the revoke and the user “ZEDDBA2“, which hasn’t been explicitly referenced:

SQL> conn zeddba/zeddba
Connected.
SQL> REVOKE READ ON ZEDDBA.DEMO FROM READ_ONLY;

Revoke succeeded.

SQL> GRANT READ ANY TABLE TO READ_ONLY;

Grant succeeded.

SQL> conn read_only/password
Connected.
SQL> SELECT * FROM ZEDDBA.DEMO;

COMMENTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read Only example.

SQL> SELECT * FROM ZEDDBA2.DEMO;

COMMENTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read Only example.

SQL>

To grant access to dictionary tables:

GRANT SELECT ANY DICTIONARY TO READ_ONLY;

Expected output, where you can see the user “READ_ONLY” able to select from dictionary i.e. table starting with DBA and V$:

SQL> conn zeddba/zeddba
Connected.
SQL> GRANT SELECT ANY DICTIONARY TO READ_ONLY;

Grant succeeded.

SQL> conn read_only/password
Connected.
SQL> SELECT TABLE_NAME
 2 FROM DBA_TABLES
 3 WHERE OWNER = 'ZEDDBA';

TABLE_NAME
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEMO

SQL> SELECT NAME FROM V$DATABASE;

NAME
---------
ZEDDBA

SQL>

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Thanks

Zed DBA (Zahid Anwar)