Error cannot ping from normal user

File /etc/hosts saved
khawar@mx:~
$ ping isv.remote-support.space
ping: socktype: SOCK_RAW
ping: socket: Operation not permitted
ping: => missing cap_net_raw+p capability or setuid?
khawar@mx:~
$ sudo setcap cap_net_raw+ep /bin/ping
[sudo] password for khawar:
khawar@mx:~
$ ping isv.remote-support.space
PING isv.remote-support.space (10.8.0.102) 56(84) bytes of data.
^C
— isv.remote-support.space ping statistics —
1 packets transmitted, 0 received, 100% packet loss, time 0ms

The error you’re seeing:

🔍 Why this happens

The ping utility requires the ability to send and receive ICMP packets, which involves using raw sockets (SOCK_RAW). On modern Linux systems, this capability is controlled by capabilities, specifically CAP_NET_RAW.

There are two common reasons for this error:

1. The ping binary lacks the CAP_NET_RAW capability.
2. The ping binary is not setuid root (and your user doesn’t have sufficient privileges).

✅ How to fix it

✔️ Option 1: Add the CAP_NET_RAW capability to ping

Run this command as root or with sudo:

This grants the ping binary the capability to create raw sockets without requiring full root privileges.

After running this, try ping again:

✔️ Option 2: Use sudo when pinging

If you don’t want to modify capabilities, run ping with elevated privileges:

This works because sudo gives you the necessary privileges to create raw sockets.

❌ Why not setuid?

In older systems, /bin/ping was often setuid root (owned by root with the setuid bit set). Modern systems prefer capabilities instead for better security.

You can check if ping currently has capabilities:

Expected output (if fixed):

If there’s no output, the capability is missing.

⚠️ Security Note

Giving CAP_NET_RAW to ping is safe and standard on most Linux distributions. Avoid setting unnecessary privileges on other binaries.

🛠 Check if ping is working properly

After applying the fix:

If it works, your issue is resolved.

Summary

Run:

Then test:

✅ This should resolve the “Operation not permitted” error.