Standard (non-admin) users can't connect to new wireless networks on GNOME Shell

[Nathaniel Homier]

When you install Ubuntu-GNOME 14.04 or 16.04, the first account is the admin account. The admin account can connect to new wifi connections just fine without needing the admin password, but:
1. Create a standard (non-admin) user, then log-in with non-admin account and try to connect to new Wi-Fi connection with non-admin account and a dialog pops up asking for the admin password :(
2. Non-admin accounts can not connect to new wifi connections without the admin account :(

This present a security flaw as the only solution is to add all users to netdev group or make all accounts admin (or having everyone know the admin password).

Wired ethernet connections work just fine for non-admin users, however it is annoying to find some public places that has wired ports and some have none at all :(

Tested on 14.04.4 and 16.04.3 with latest updates

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: gnome-control-center 1:3.18.2-1ubuntu6

[Nathaniel Homier (mechamechanism)]

I filed this on a desktop with no wifi because I don't have laptop at the moment. I finally have a 14.04 laptop this afternoon. Let me know if I need to submit something from laptop.

[Monika Ondrejova (ubuntu-launchpad-s)]

This is bug only in GNOME environment. I tested it on Ubuntu 14.04 Desktop installation. If I was loged in with GNOME environment, it asked an admin password. As I was loged in with UNITY , no admin password was needed - and I could connect to wifi just with a wifi password. After that I loged in in GNOME environment, and wifi worked already.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu GNOME 16.04 (xenial) reached end-of-life in April 2019.

https://ubuntugnome.org/ubuntu-gnome-16-04-lts-is-here/
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/XenialXerus/ReleaseNotes/UbuntuGNOME

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test. If you then find the bug is still present in the newer Ubuntu version, please add a comment here telling us which new version it is in.