Change:
// The WRAPPER_DIR macro is supplied at compile time so that it cannot // be changed at runtime <del> static char * wrapperDir = WRAPPER_DIR; </del> <ins> static char *wrapper_dir = WRAPPER_DIR; </ins> // Wrapper debug variable name <del> static char * wrapperDebug = "WRAPPER_DEBUG"; // Update the capabilities of the running process to include the given // capability in the Ambient set. static void set_ambient_cap(cap_value_t cap) { capng_get_caps_process(); if (capng_update(CAPNG_ADD, CAPNG_INHERITABLE, (unsigned long) cap)) { perror("cannot raise the capability into the Inheritable setn"); exit(1); </del> <ins> static char *wrapper_debug = "WRAPPER_DEBUG"; #define CAP_SETPCAP 8 #if __BYTE_ORDER == __BIG_ENDIAN #define LE32_TO_H(x) bswap_32(x) #else #define LE32_TO_H(x) (x) #endif int get_last_cap(unsigned *last_cap) { FILE* file = fopen("/proc/sys/kernel/cap_last_cap", "r"); if (file == NULL) { int saved_errno = errno; fprintf(stderr, "failed to open /proc/sys/kernel/cap_last_cap: %sn", strerror(errno)); return -saved_errno; </ins> } <del> capng_apply(CAPNG_SELECT_CAPS); if (prctl(PR_CAP_AMBIENT, PR_CAP_AMBIENT_RAISE, (unsigned long) cap, 0, 0)) { perror("cannot raise the capability into the Ambient setn"); exit(1); </del> <ins> int res = fscanf(file, "%u", last_cap); if (res == EOF) { int saved_errno = errno; fprintf(stderr, "could not read number from /proc/sys/kernel/cap_last_cap: %sn", strerror(errno)); return -saved_errno; </ins> } <ins> fclose(file); return 0; </ins> } // Given the path to this program, fetch its configured capability set // (as set by `setcap ... /path/to/file`) and raise those capabilities // into the Ambient set. <del> static int make_caps_ambient(const char *selfPath) { cap_t caps = cap_get_file(selfPath); </del> <ins> static int make_caps_ambient(const char *self_path) { struct vfs_ns_cap_data data = {}; int r = getxattr(self_path, "security.capability", &data, sizeof(data)); if (r < 0) { if (errno == ENODATA) { // no capabilities set return 0; } fprintf(stderr, "cannot get capabilities for %s: %s", self_path, strerror(errno)); return 1; } </ins> <del> if(!caps) { if(getenv(wrapperDebug)) fprintf(stderr, "no caps set or could not retrieve the caps for this file, not doing anything..."); </del> <ins> size_t size; uint32_t version = LE32_TO_H(data.magic_etc) & VFS_CAP_REVISION_MASK; switch (version) { case VFS_CAP_REVISION_1: size = VFS_CAP_U32_1; break; case VFS_CAP_REVISION_2: case VFS_CAP_REVISION_3: size = VFS_CAP_U32_3; break; default: fprintf(stderr, "BUG! Unsupported capability version 0x%x on %s. Report to NixOS bugtrackern", version, self_path); return 1; } </ins> <del> return 1; </del> <ins> const struct __user_cap_header_struct header = { .version = _LINUX_CAPABILITY_VERSION_3, .pid = getpid(), }; struct __user_cap_data_struct user_data[2] = {}; for (size_t i = 0; i < size; i++) { // merge inheritable & permitted into one user_data[i].permitted = user_data[i].inheritable = LE32_TO_H(data.data[i].inheritable) | LE32_TO_H(data.data[i].permitted); </ins> } <del> // We use `cap_to_text` and iteration over the tokenized result // string because, as of libcap's current release, there is no // facility for retrieving an array of `cap_value_t`'s that can be // given to `prctl` in order to lift that capability into the // Ambient set. // // Some discussion was had around shot-gunning all of the // capabilities we know about into the Ambient set but that has a // security smell and I deemed the risk of the current // implementation crashing the program to be lower than the risk // of a privilege escalation security hole being introduced by // raising all capabilities, even ones we didn't intend for the // program, into the Ambient set. // // `cap_t` which is returned by `cap_get_*` is an opaque type and // even if we could retrieve the bitmasks (which, as far as I can // tell we cannot) in order to get the `cap_value_t` // representation for each capability we would have to take the // total number of capabilities supported and iterate over the // sequence of integers up-to that maximum total, testing each one // against the bitmask ((bitmask >> n) & 1) to see if it's set and // aggregating each "capability integer n" that is set in the // bitmask. // // That, combined with the fact that we can't easily get the // bitmask anyway seemed much more brittle than fetching the // `cap_t`, transforming it into a textual representation, // tokenizing the string, and using `cap_from_name` on the token // to get the `cap_value_t` that we need for `prctl`. There is // indeed risk involved if the output string format of // `cap_to_text` ever changes but at this time the combination of // factors involving the below list have led me to the conclusion // that the best implementation at this time is reading then // parsing with *lots of documentation* about why we're doing it // this way. // // 1. No explicit API for fetching an array of `cap_value_t`'s or //    for transforming a `cap_t` into such a representation // 2. The risk of a crash is lower than lifting all capabilities //    into the Ambient set // 3. libcap is depended on heavily in the Linux ecosystem so //    there is a high chance that the output representation of //    `cap_to_text` will not change which reduces our risk that //    this parsing step will cause a crash // // The preferred method, should it ever be available in the // future, would be to use libcap API's to transform the result // from a `cap_get_*` into an array of `cap_value_t`'s that can // then be given to prctl. // // - Parnell ssize_t capLen; char* capstr = cap_to_text(caps, &capLen); cap_free(caps); // TODO: For now, we assume that cap_to_text always starts its // result string with " =" and that the first capability is listed // immediately after that. We should verify this. assert(capLen >= 2); capstr += 2; char* saveptr = NULL; for(char* tok = strtok_r(capstr, ",", &saveptr); tok; tok = strtok_r(NULL, ",", &saveptr)) { cap_value_t capnum; if (cap_from_name(tok, &capnum)) { if(getenv(wrapperDebug)) fprintf(stderr, "cap_from_name failed, skipping: %s", tok); } else if (capnum == CAP_SETPCAP) { // Check for the cap_setpcap capability, we set this on the // wrapper so it can elevate the capabilities to the Ambient // set but we do not want to propagate it down into the // wrapped program. // // TODO: what happens if that's the behavior you want // though???? I'm preferring a strict vs. loose policy here. if(getenv(wrapperDebug)) fprintf(stderr, "cap_setpcap in set, skipping itn"); } else { set_ambient_cap(capnum); if(getenv(wrapperDebug)) fprintf(stderr, "raised %s into the Ambient capability setn", tok); } </del> <ins> if (syscall(SYS_capset, &header, &user_data) < 0) { fprintf(stderr, "failed to inherit capabilities: %s", strerror(errno)); return 1; } unsigned last_cap; r = get_last_cap(&last_cap); if (r < 0) { return 1; } uint64_t set = user_data[0].permitted | (uint64_t)user_data[1].permitted << 32; for (unsigned cap = 0; cap < last_cap; cap++) { if (!(set & (1ULL << cap))) { continue; } // Check for the cap_setpcap capability, we set this on the // wrapper so it can elevate the capabilities to the Ambient // set but we do not want to propagate it down into the // wrapped program. // // TODO: what happens if that's the behavior you want // though???? I'm preferring a strict vs. loose policy here. if (cap == CAP_SETPCAP) { if(getenv(wrapper_debug)) { fprintf(stderr, "cap_setpcap in set, skipping itn"); } continue; } if (prctl(PR_CAP_AMBIENT, PR_CAP_AMBIENT_RAISE, (unsigned long) cap, 0, 0)) { fprintf(stderr, "cannot raise the capability %d into the ambient set: %sn", cap, strerror(errno)); return 1; } if (getenv(wrapper_debug)) { fprintf(stderr, "raised %d into the ambient capability setn", cap); } </ins> } <del> cap_free(capstr); </del> return 0; } <del> int main(int argc, char * * argv) { // I *think* it's safe to assume that a path from a symbolic link // should safely fit within the PATH_MAX system limit. Though I'm // not positive it's safe... char selfPath[PATH_MAX]; int selfPathSize = readlink("/proc/self/exe", selfPath, sizeof(selfPath)); assert(selfPathSize > 0); // Assert we have room for the zero byte, this ensures the path // isn't being truncated because it's too big for the buffer. // // A better way to handle this might be to use something like the // whereami library (https://github.com/gpakosz/whereami) or a // loop that resizes the buffer and re-reads the link if the // contents are being truncated. assert(selfPathSize < sizeof(selfPath)); </del> <ins> int readlink_malloc(const char *p, char **ret) { size_t l = FILENAME_MAX+1; int r; for (;;) { char *c = calloc(l, sizeof(char)); if (!c) { return -ENOMEM; } ssize_t n = readlink(p, c, l-1); if (n < 0) { r = -errno; free(c); return r; } if ((size_t) n < l-1) { c[n] = 0; *ret = c; return 0; } free(c); l *= 2; } } </ins> <del> // Set the zero byte since readlink doesn't do that for us. selfPath[selfPathSize] = '0'; </del> <ins> int main(int argc, char **argv) { char *self_path = NULL; int self_path_size = readlink_malloc("/proc/self/exe", &self_path); if (self_path_size < 0) { fprintf(stderr, "cannot readlink /proc/self/exe: %s", strerror(-self_path_size)); } </ins> // Make sure that we are being executed from the right location, <del> // i.e., `safeWrapperDir'.  This is to prevent someone from creating </del> <ins> // i.e., `safe_wrapper_dir'.  This is to prevent someone from creating </ins> // hard link `X' from some other location, along with a false // `X.real' file, to allow arbitrary programs from being executed // with elevated capabilities. <del> int len = strlen(wrapperDir); if (len > 0 && '/' == wrapperDir[len - 1]) </del> <ins> int len = strlen(wrapper_dir); if (len > 0 && '/' == wrapper_dir[len - 1]) </ins> --len; <del> assert(!strncmp(selfPath, wrapperDir, len)); assert('/' == wrapperDir[0]); assert('/' == selfPath[len]); </del> <ins> assert(!strncmp(self_path, wrapper_dir, len)); assert('/' == wrapper_dir[0]); assert('/' == self_path[len]); </ins> // Make *really* *really* sure that we were executed as <del> // `selfPath', and not, say, as some other setuid program. That </del> <ins> // `self_path', and not, say, as some other setuid program. That </ins> // is, our effective uid/gid should match the uid/gid of <del> // `selfPath'. </del> <ins> // `self_path'. </ins> struct stat st; <del> assert(lstat(selfPath, &st) != -1); </del> <ins> assert(lstat(self_path, &st) != -1); </ins> assert(!(st.st_mode & S_ISUID) || (st.st_uid == geteuid())); assert(!(st.st_mode & S_ISGID) || (st.st_gid == getegid()));

Discussion:
Describe the bug After update libcap from to error working capabilites. and Netdata configuration: Wrappers cat: Notify maintainers cc
If it's being denied by apparmor, it should say something along those lines in the kernel log. Are you actually running apparmor though?
The apparmor service is in use. Does not write an error in the logs. Disabling apparmor service doesn't fixed error: Worked with this patch:
Sorry, don't maintain neither netdata nor apparmor.
So basically apparmor 2.13.6 introduced this regression?
Sorry, wrong checked. Working with branch , with branch - not working - . Compare - Looking for a error further.
The diff between these versions is quite small I don't think that should be responsible.
Found. Working with rollback libcap to
In kernel 5.8 new capability - - Service netdata with add not working:
Problem with version . Step to reproduce Add to configuration: and running from user: In version 20.09 correct work, in master - bad work - .
cc libcap contributors -
Working with revert this commit - Need support new output of the program from to
Maybe also report the bug here, since you have a reproducible bug:
cc since the bug tracker seems to be unused.
This error is not reproducible in another distribution. Checked on ArchLinux - not reproduced.
The bug tracker is used. It is just the case that there are no open bugs right now. Please file a bug there if you believe libcap has a bug. Please include an example sufficient to reproduce it.
This error reproduced only NixOS. I can build a live-cd with this error. Can you use this variant?
Ok. Thanks. I think this is not a bug but rather an incompatibility regarding captotext output that changed.
The output format did become more compact in 2.41. This default output format also changed with the resurrection of meaningful support for in 2.29. That change is potentially more significant: Note: the official sources for libcap are here:
FWIW I would have suggested using the iab abstraction in libcap (introduced in libcap-2.33).

What you are trying to do would then look like this: capt working = capgetproc(); capiabt iab = capiabinit(); capiabfill(iab, CAPIABAMB, working, CAPPERMITTED); capiabsetproc(iab); capfree(iab); cap_free(working);
But how does one get the capabilities of a file without string parsing?
capt working = capget_file("/the/file/of/interest");
Perhaps I misunderstood? If you want to load the capabilities from a text string and not from the file-capabilities of the file itself: capt working = capfromtext("..."); That is, capt is libcap's abstraction for a capability set and you are trying to import them from somewhere. There is also a portable binary format capcopyext()/capcopyint(). However, there haven't been many users of this - the draft 1e spec intended it for things like tar and cpio to use.
We basically use both. Our setcap wrapper has capabilities set on its file and it will convert those to ambient capabilities at runtime. It seems that iab abstraction was not there when the original code was written. So there was no obvious way of using capt to set ambient capabilities.