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I'm getting this error message:

"Incorrect permission on /usr/lib/policykit-1/polkit-agent-helper-1(need to setuid root)"

Due to this problem I can't download any app.

Kulfy
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Akhil George
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    Did you do something to your system just before this started to happen? If you strred your system with a root stick, playing whack-a-mole with the aftereffects isn't worth the effort. – waltinator Feb 02 '19 at 21:42

1 Answers1

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This is the solution I came up with and tried, and it seemed to work, not sure why the permissions changed on this file though.

sudo chmod 5755 /usr/lib/policykit-1/polkit-agent-helper-1

I also saw a version that tried: sudo chmod +s ... I originally opted to mirror the other permissions for the files in /usr/lib/policykit-1/

  • From @ericx see comments: Or, more correctly try: Chmod 4755 and for an extra level for the paranoid try: Chmod 4555

  • Read more about polkit on the manpage

jmunsch
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    Thanks, sudo chmod 5755 /usr/lib/policykit-1/polkit-agent-helper-1 is secure. It worked for me. – Aravind Nov 06 '19 at 18:15
  • Worked perfectly, should be flagged accepted! – Jorick Spitzen Aug 10 '20 at 14:15
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    Using permissions 5755 enables both the SUID bit and the Sticky bit (5 in binary is 101; so you can see it's setting two fields whereas 4 is just 100). There is no need for the Sticky bit. The correct permissions are just 4755 (which only sets SUID). Or you could be a wee bit more paranoid and change that to 4555 (removing write permissions altogether). – ericx Jul 26 '22 at 10:49
  • @ericx Thanks. Updated. – jmunsch Jul 26 '22 at 15:14
  • Worked for /usr/libexec/polkit-agent-helper-1. Wasn't let me use balenaEtcher to flash an SD card. – Thermal_insulator Apr 24 '23 at 15:00