what is Polkit?

Polkit

is a component of the Linux authorization system that allows fine-grained control over user permissions and privileges, particularly in conjunction with systemd. It is used to determine if a user has the necessary permissions to perform actions that require higher privileges. The pkexec utility, part of Polkit, is used to execute commands with elevated privileges, often prompting for credentials in a GUI environment. This utility was found to contain a vulnerability known as "Pwnkit."