apt search pkexec

I've tried setuid and it seems to have resolved for one of the hosts exhibiting the issue.

chmod u+s /usr/lib/polkit-1/polkit-agent-helper-1

So the regression would also be an upstream issue, just like 0009497 with https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1125141 ?

Hello.

First thing: did you reboot after the upgrade? Cf. https://bugs.kali.org/view.php?id=9497#c21506. You MUST reboot after this particular update of polkit / pkexec. I guess you did, given you said « noticed this regress some weeks back ».

Second question: what terminal do you use?

First thing: did you reboot after the upgrade?

Yes indeed. My typical habit is rebooting after any updates via kali-rolling (regardless of whether needed or not). As you mentioned, yes, when this regressed I noticed it after reboot. :-(

Second question: what terminal do you use?

qterminal (built-in), Xfce, launched from the toolbar using the built-in shortcut (red terminal icon).

I wish I took a note of when I saw this regress. I didn't look to see how many releases there have been between 127+really126-0+kali1 and 127+really127-0kali1. I'm also surprised this hasn't been seen by anyone else running kali-rolling (at least I haven't found any reports or discussion).

I've experienced this on at least two hosts, <del>and I've been reluctant to upgrade a laptop on kali-rolling until I understand what is going on.</del> make that three hosts. The laptop I thought wasn't upgraded, was and is also exhibiting the issue, 127+really127-0kali1 installed.

# grep -r "polkitd" /var/log/dpkg.log*
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:05 upgrade polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:05 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:05 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:05 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:05 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:26 configure polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1 <none>
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:26 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:26 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:27 status triggers-awaited polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.1:2026-04-03 14:40:31 status installed polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:04:47 upgrade polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:04:47 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:04:47 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:04:47 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:04:48 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:06:02 configure polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1 <none>
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:06:02 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:06:02 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:06:03 status triggers-awaited polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-12 16:06:21 status installed polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:11 upgrade polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:11 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:11 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:11 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:11 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:24 configure polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1 <none>
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:24 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:24 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:25 status triggers-awaited polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-14 00:14:26 status installed polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1

From the aforementioned laptop:

# grep "polkitd" /var/log/dpkg.log*
/var/log/dpkg.log:2026-05-25 23:27:07 upgrade polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log:2026-05-25 23:27:07 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log:2026-05-25 23:27:07 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log:2026-05-25 23:27:07 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log:2026-05-25 23:27:07 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log:2026-05-25 23:40:54 configure polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1 <none>
/var/log/dpkg.log:2026-05-25 23:40:54 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log:2026-05-25 23:40:54 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log:2026-05-25 23:40:55 status installed polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:06:49 upgrade polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:06:49 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:06:49 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:06:49 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:06:49 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:07:36 configure polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1 <none>
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:07:36 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:07:36 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:07:36 status triggers-awaited polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.4:2026-01-17 20:07:38 status installed polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:08:21 upgrade polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:08:21 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:08:21 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:08:21 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:08:21 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:13:55 configure polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1 <none>
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:13:55 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:13:55 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:13:56 status triggers-awaited polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.5:2026-01-12 16:14:48 status installed polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.10:2025-07-10 17:43:02 install polkitd:amd64 <none> 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.10:2025-07-10 17:43:02 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.10:2025-07-10 17:43:02 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.10:2025-07-10 17:47:56 configure polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1 <none>
/var/log/dpkg.log.10:2025-07-10 17:47:56 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.10:2025-07-10 17:47:56 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
/var/log/dpkg.log.10:2025-07-10 17:47:56 status installed polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1

From the third host, and an attempt at readability. :-)

# grep -r "polkitd" /var/log/dpkg.log* |awk -F: 'BEGIN { OFS=":" } { print $2,$3,$4,$5 }' | sort -g
2026-01-09 09:45:44 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
2026-01-09 09:45:44 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
2026-01-09 09:45:44 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1
2026-01-09 09:45:44 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
2026-01-09 09:45:44 upgrade polkitd:amd64 126-2+kali1 127-1+kali1
2026-01-09 09:45:54 configure polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1 <none>
2026-01-09 09:45:54 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
2026-01-09 09:45:54 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
2026-01-09 09:45:55 status installed polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
2026-01-09 09:45:55 status triggers-awaited polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
2026-01-13 09:20:19 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
2026-01-13 09:20:19 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
2026-01-13 09:20:19 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
2026-01-13 09:20:19 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1
2026-01-13 09:20:19 upgrade polkitd:amd64 127-1+kali1 127+really126-0+kali1
2026-01-13 09:20:20 configure polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1 <none>
2026-01-13 09:20:20 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
2026-01-13 09:20:20 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
2026-01-13 09:20:21 status triggers-awaited polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
2026-01-13 09:20:23 status installed polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
2026-04-03 13:10:47 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
2026-04-03 13:10:47 upgrade polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1 127+really127-0kali1
2026-04-03 13:10:48 status half-installed polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
2026-04-03 13:10:48 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really126-0+kali1
2026-04-03 13:10:48 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
2026-04-03 13:10:49 configure polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1 <none>
2026-04-03 13:10:49 status half-configured polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
2026-04-03 13:10:49 status unpacked polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
2026-04-03 13:10:50 status triggers-awaited polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1
2026-04-03 13:10:52 status installed polkitd:amd64 127+really127-0kali1