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DCA · Question #136

A users attempts to set the system time from inside a Docker container are unsuccessful. Could this be blocking this operation? Solution: Linux capabilities

The correct answer is A. Yes. Linux capabilities restrict privileged operations within containers, and setting the system time typically requires a capability that is dropped by default for security.

Submitted by neha2k· Apr 18, 2026Security

Question

A users attempts to set the system time from inside a Docker container are unsuccessful. Could this be blocking this operation? Solution: Linux capabilities

Options

  • AYes
  • BNo

How the community answered

(42 responses)
  • A
    93% (39)
  • B
    7% (3)

Why each option

Linux capabilities restrict privileged operations within containers, and setting the system time typically requires a capability that is dropped by default for security.

AYesCorrect

Docker containers typically run with a reduced set of Linux capabilities by default for security, meaning certain privileged system calls are disallowed. Setting the system time requires the `CAP_SYS_TIME` capability, which is usually removed from standard containers, thereby blocking this operation.

BNo

Linux capabilities are specifically designed to control granular permissions for processes, and their absence for a particular operation like `CAP_SYS_TIME` is a direct cause for an attempt to set system time to fail.

Concept tested: Linux capabilities and Docker security

Source: https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/run/#runtime-privilege-and-linux-capabilities

Topics

#Linux capabilities#Container security#Privileged operations#Docker security

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