# ls -Z `which sss_cache`
system_u:object_r:bin_t:s0 /usr/sbin/sss_cache
# ps -efZ | grep sss
system_u:system_r:sssd_t:s0     root        1109       1  0 10:12 ?        00:00:00 /usr/sbin/sssd -i --logger=files
system_u:system_r:sssd_t:s0     sssd        1390    1109  0 10:12 ?        00:00:03 /usr/libexec/sssd/sssd_nss --uid 963 --gid 958 --logger=files
system_u:system_r:sssd_t:s0     sssd        1391    1109  0 10:12 ?        00:00:00 /usr/libexec/sssd/sssd_pam --uid 963 --gid 958 --logger=files
system_u:system_r:sssd_t:s0     root        1397    1109  0 10:12 ?        00:00:00 /usr/libexec/sssd/sssd_ifp --uid 0 --gid 0 --logger=files
system_u:system_r:sssd_t:s0     sssd       22968    1109  0 11:08 ?        00:00:00 /usr/libexec/sssd/sssd_be --domain implicit_files --uid 963 --gid 958 --logger=files
unconfined_u:unconfined_r:unconfined_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 root 34909 26671  0 11:39 pts/0 00:00:00 grep --color=auto sss
# cat /etc/sssd/sssd.conf 
[sssd]
config_file_version = 2
reconnection_retries = 3
sbus_timeout = 30
services = nss, pam, ifp
domains =
user = sssd

[nss]
filter_groups = root
filter_users = root
reconnection_retries = 3

[pam]
reconnection_retries = 3

[ifp]
allowed_uids = root
user_attributes = +mail, +givenname, +sn
# ls -iZ /var/lib/sss/db/
 163059 system_u:object_r:sssd_var_lib_t:s0 cache_implicit_files.ldb
1117209 system_u:object_r:sssd_var_lib_t:s0 cache_ldap.ldb
 209166 system_u:object_r:sssd_var_lib_t:s0 config.ldb
 163256 system_u:object_r:sssd_var_lib_t:s0 sssd.ldb
 209267 system_u:object_r:sssd_var_lib_t:s0 timestamps_implicit_files.ldb
1117210 system_u:object_r:sssd_var_lib_t:s0 timestamps_ldap.ldb
# ls -il /var/lib/sss/db/
total 9908
 163059 -rw-------. 1 sssd sssd 3391488 Oct  1 11:31 cache_implicit_files.ldb
1117209 -rw-------. 1 root root 1286144 May 25 10:58 cache_ldap.ldb
 209166 -rw-------. 1 sssd sssd 1286144 Oct  1 10:12 config.ldb
 163256 -rw-------. 1 root root 1286144 Jul 27  2018 sssd.ldb
 209267 -rw-------. 1 sssd sssd 1609728 Oct  1 11:31 timestamps_implicit_files.ldb
1117210 -rw-------. 1 root root 1286144 Jan  9  2020 timestamps_ldap.ldb
#

Hi,

I can reproduce the issue. The reason is that SSSD is configured to run as user `sssd` (`user = sssd` in sssd.conf) and as a result the ownership of the case file is:

     163059 -rw-------. 1 sssd sssd 3391488 Oct  1 11:31 cache_implicit_files.ldb

so that only the `sssd` user can access it. When calling `sss_cache` in a confined environment, e.g. running as sub-task of yum and rpm, with restricted capabilities even when running as root with uid=0 some operations might be rejected.

In the given case it is `sys_utime` and it looks the `utime` glibc even hides the error form the user since when running with strace I cannot see an error returned by utime. Nevertheless since it looks that all other operations related to flushing the cache are working as expected I think a rule can be added to allow the `sys_utime` call and is granting the `fowner` capability is the only way I'm fine with it from the SSSD perspective.

bye,
Sumit

Thank you for looking into it. We appreciate the results of your analysis.

Since the problem described in this bug report should be
resolved in a recent advisory, it has been closed with a
resolution of ERRATA.

For information on the advisory (selinux-policy bug fix and enhancement update), and where to find the updated
files, follow the link below.

If the solution does not work for you, open a new bug report.

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2021:1639