acl crashes with TypeError when use_nfsv4_acls is true and permissions is omitted #679
Description
SUMMARY
When ansible.posix.acl is run with use_nfsv4_acls: true and permissions is omitted, the module crashes with:
TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for +: 'NoneType' and 'str'
The error comes from build_entry() attempting permissions + 'tcy' without first checking if permissions is None.
ISSUE TYPE
- Bug Report
COMPONENT NAME
acl
ANSIBLE VERSION
ansible [core 2.18.7]
config file = None
configured module search path = ['/root/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible
ansible collection location = /root/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
executable location = /usr/bin/ansible
python version = 3.13.5 (main, Jun 11 2025, 22:06:31) [GCC] (/usr/bin/python3.13)
jinja version = 3.1.6
libyaml = True
COLLECTION VERSION
Collection Version
------------- -------
ansible.posix 1.6.2
CONFIGURATION
OS / ENVIRONMENT
STEPS TO REPRODUCE
- name: Prepare test dir
file:
path: /tmp/test_dir
state: directory
- name: Trigger acl module crash (no permissions set)
ansible.posix.acl:
path: /tmp/test_dir
entity: www-data
etype: user
state: absent
use_nfsv4_acls: true
default: trueEXPECTED RESULTS
Module should fail gracefully via fail_json() with a helpful message (e.g., "permissions must be set when using NFSv4 ACLs") or handle the missing value.
ACTUAL RESULTS
ansible-playbook [core 2.18.8]
config file = None
configured module search path = ['/root/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
ansible python module location = /usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible
ansible collection location = /root/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
executable location = /usr/local/bin/ansible-playbook
python version = 3.12.2 (main, Jul 26 2025, 13:01:09) [GCC 10.2.1 20210110] (/usr/local/bin/python3.12)
jinja version = 3.1.6
libyaml = True
No config file found; using defaults
setting up inventory plugins
Loading collection ansible.builtin from
host_list declined parsing /etc/ansible/hosts as it did not pass its verify_file() method
Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user
script declined parsing /etc/ansible/hosts as it did not pass its verify_file() method
auto declined parsing /etc/ansible/hosts as it did not pass its verify_file() method
Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user
yaml declined parsing /etc/ansible/hosts as it did not pass its verify_file() method
Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user
ini declined parsing /etc/ansible/hosts as it did not pass its verify_file() method
Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user
toml declined parsing /etc/ansible/hosts as it did not pass its verify_file() method
[WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available
[WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that the implicit localhost does not match 'all'
Loading collection ansible.posix from /usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible_collections/ansible/posix
Loading callback plugin default of type stdout, v2.0 from /usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible/plugins/callback/default.py
Skipping callback 'default', as we already have a stdout callback.
Skipping callback 'minimal', as we already have a stdout callback.
Skipping callback 'oneline', as we already have a stdout callback.
PLAYBOOK: u.yml ***********************************************************************************************************************
Positional arguments: u.yml
verbosity: 4
connection: ssh
become_method: sudo
tags: ('all',)
inventory: ('/etc/ansible/hosts',)
forks: 5
1 plays in u.yml
PLAY [localhost] **********************************************************************************************************************
TASK [Prepare test dir] ***************************************************************************************************************
task path: /opt/u.yml:4
<127.0.0.1> ESTABLISH LOCAL CONNECTION FOR USER: root
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c 'echo ~root && sleep 0'
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c '( umask 77 && mkdir -p "` echo /root/.ansible/tmp `"&& mkdir "` echo /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.3375456-2116-59485947555655 `" && echo ansible-tmp-1755279565.3375456-2116-59485947555655="` echo /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.3375456-2116-59485947555655 `" ) && sleep 0'
Using module file /usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible/modules/file.py
<127.0.0.1> PUT /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-local-211298fmm1a0/tmpfxgzu1h8 TO /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.3375456-2116-59485947555655/AnsiballZ_file.py
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c 'chmod u+rwx /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.3375456-2116-59485947555655/ /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.3375456-2116-59485947555655/AnsiballZ_file.py && sleep 0'
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c '/usr/local/bin/python3.12 /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.3375456-2116-59485947555655/AnsiballZ_file.py && sleep 0'
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c 'rm -f -r /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.3375456-2116-59485947555655/ > /dev/null 2>&1 && sleep 0'
ok: [localhost] => {
"changed": false,
"diff": {
"after": {
"path": "/tmp/test_dir"
},
"before": {
"path": "/tmp/test_dir"
}
},
"gid": 0,
"group": "root",
"invocation": {
"module_args": {
"_diff_peek": null,
"_original_basename": null,
"access_time": null,
"access_time_format": "%Y%m%d%H%M.%S",
"attributes": null,
"follow": true,
"force": false,
"group": null,
"mode": null,
"modification_time": null,
"modification_time_format": "%Y%m%d%H%M.%S",
"owner": null,
"path": "/tmp/test_dir",
"recurse": false,
"selevel": null,
"serole": null,
"setype": null,
"seuser": null,
"src": null,
"state": "directory",
"unsafe_writes": false
}
},
"mode": "0755",
"owner": "root",
"path": "/tmp/test_dir",
"size": 4096,
"state": "directory",
"uid": 0
}
TASK [Trigger acl module crash (no permissions set)] **********************************************************************************
task path: /opt/u.yml:9
<127.0.0.1> ESTABLISH LOCAL CONNECTION FOR USER: root
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c 'echo ~root && sleep 0'
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c '( umask 77 && mkdir -p "` echo /root/.ansible/tmp `"&& mkdir "` echo /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998 `" && echo ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998="` echo /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998 `" ) && sleep 0'
Using module file /usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible_collections/ansible/posix/plugins/modules/acl.py
<127.0.0.1> PUT /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-local-211298fmm1a0/tmpstjdjm3_ TO /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/AnsiballZ_acl.py
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c 'chmod u+rwx /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/ /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/AnsiballZ_acl.py && sleep 0'
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c '/usr/local/bin/python3.12 /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/AnsiballZ_acl.py && sleep 0'
<127.0.0.1> EXEC /bin/sh -c 'rm -f -r /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/ > /dev/null 2>&1 && sleep 0'
The full traceback is:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/AnsiballZ_acl.py", line 107, in <module>
_ansiballz_main()
File "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/AnsiballZ_acl.py", line 99, in _ansiballz_main
invoke_module(zipped_mod, temp_path, ANSIBALLZ_PARAMS)
File "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/AnsiballZ_acl.py", line 47, in invoke_module
runpy.run_module(mod_name='ansible_collections.ansible.posix.plugins.modules.acl', init_globals=dict(_module_fqn='ansible_collections.ansible.posix.plugins.modules.acl', _modlib_path=modlib_path),
File "<frozen runpy>", line 226, in run_module
File "<frozen runpy>", line 98, in _run_module_code
File "<frozen runpy>", line 88, in _run_code
File "/tmp/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload_8cxq4_j4/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload.zip/ansible_collections/ansible/posix/plugins/modules/acl.py", line 410, in <module>
File "/tmp/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload_8cxq4_j4/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload.zip/ansible_collections/ansible/posix/plugins/modules/acl.py", line 382, in main
File "/tmp/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload_8cxq4_j4/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload.zip/ansible_collections/ansible/posix/plugins/modules/acl.py", line 186, in build_entry
TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for +: 'NoneType' and 'str'
fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! => {
"changed": false,
"module_stderr": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/AnsiballZ_acl.py\", line 107, in <module>\n _ansiballz_main()\n File \"/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/AnsiballZ_acl.py\", line 99, in _ansiballz_main\n invoke_module(zipped_mod, temp_path, ANSIBALLZ_PARAMS)\n File \"/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1755279565.5967522-2141-106969790720998/AnsiballZ_acl.py\", line 47, in invoke_module\n runpy.run_module(mod_name='ansible_collections.ansible.posix.plugins.modules.acl', init_globals=dict(_module_fqn='ansible_collections.ansible.posix.plugins.modules.acl', _modlib_path=modlib_path),\n File \"<frozen runpy>\", line 226, in run_module\n File \"<frozen runpy>\", line 98, in _run_module_code\n File \"<frozen runpy>\", line 88, in _run_code\n File \"/tmp/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload_8cxq4_j4/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload.zip/ansible_collections/ansible/posix/plugins/modules/acl.py\", line 410, in <module>\n File \"/tmp/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload_8cxq4_j4/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload.zip/ansible_collections/ansible/posix/plugins/modules/acl.py\", line 382, in main\n File \"/tmp/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload_8cxq4_j4/ansible_ansible.posix.acl_payload.zip/ansible_collections/ansible/posix/plugins/modules/acl.py\", line 186, in build_entry\nTypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for +: 'NoneType' and 'str'\n",
"module_stdout": "",
"msg": "MODULE FAILURE: No start of json char found\nSee stdout/stderr for the exact error",
"rc": 1
}
PLAY RECAP ****************************************************************************************************************************
localhost : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=1 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0