Index: src/core/slavebase.h
===================================================================
--- src/core/slavebase.h
+++ src/core/slavebase.h
@@ -935,6 +935,11 @@
     */
     int waitForHostInfo(QHostInfo &info);
 
+    /**
+     * Checks with job if privilege operation is allowed.
+     */
+    bool isPrivilegeOperationAllowed();
+
 protected:
     /**
      * Name of the protocol supported by this slave
Index: src/core/slavebase.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/core/slavebase.cpp
+++ src/core/slavebase.cpp
@@ -1457,3 +1457,12 @@
 
     return result;
 }
+
+bool SlaveBase::isPrivilegeOperationAllowed()
+{
+    QByteArray buffer;
+    buffer.setNum(0);
+    send(MSG_PRIVILEGE_EXEC);
+    waitForAnswer(MSG_PRIVILEGE_EXEC, 0, buffer);
+    return buffer.toInt();
+}
Index: src/core/slaveinterface.h
===================================================================
--- src/core/slaveinterface.h
+++ src/core/slaveinterface.h
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@
     MSG_DEL_AUTH_KEY, ///< @deprecated
     MSG_OPENED,
     MSG_WRITTEN,
-    MSG_HOST_INFO_REQ
+    MSG_HOST_INFO_REQ,
+    MSG_PRIVILEGE_EXEC
     // add new ones here once a release is done, to avoid breaking binary compatibility
 };
 
@@ -144,6 +145,8 @@
     void open();
     void written(KIO::filesize_t);
 
+    void privilegeOperationRequested();
+
     ///////////
     // Info sent by the slave
     //////////
Index: src/core/slaveinterface.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/core/slaveinterface.cpp
+++ src/core/slaveinterface.cpp
@@ -319,6 +319,9 @@
         HostInfo::lookupHost(hostName, this, SLOT(slotHostInfo(QHostInfo)));
         break;
     }
+    case MSG_PRIVILEGE_EXEC:
+        emit privilegeOperationRequested();
+        break;
     default:
         qCWarning(KIO_CORE) << "Slave sends unknown command (" << _cmd << "), dropping slave";
         return false;
Index: src/ioslaves/file/file.h
===================================================================
--- src/ioslaves/file/file.h
+++ src/ioslaves/file/file.h
@@ -100,6 +100,21 @@
 
     void fileSystemFreeSpace(const QUrl &url);  // KF6 TODO: Turn into virtual method in SlaveBase
 
+    enum ActionType {
+        CHMOD = 1,
+        CHOWN,
+        DEL,
+        MKDIR,
+        OPEN,
+        OPENDIR,
+        RENAME,
+        RMDIR,
+        SYMLINK,
+        UTIME,
+    };
+    virtual bool execWithElevatedPrivilege(int error, ActionType action, const QVariant &arg1,
+                                           const QVariant &arg2 = QVariant(),
+                                           const QVariant &arg3 = QVariant());
 private:
     mutable QHash<KUserId, QString> mUsercache;
     mutable QHash<KGroupId, QString> mGroupcache;
Index: src/ioslaves/file/file_unix.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/ioslaves/file/file_unix.cpp
+++ src/ioslaves/file/file_unix.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <utime.h>
 
+#include <KAuth>
+
 //sendfile has different semantics in different platforms
 #if defined HAVE_SENDFILE && defined Q_OS_LINUX
 #define USE_SENDFILE 1
@@ -650,3 +652,39 @@
 
     finished();
 }
+
+bool FileProtocol::execWithElevatedPrivilege(int error, ActionType action, const QVariant &arg1,
+                                             const QVariant &arg2, const QVariant &arg3)
+{
+    if (error != EACCES || !isPrivilegeOperationAllowed()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    QByteArray helperArgs;
+    QDataStream out(&helperArgs, QIODevice::WriteOnly);
+    out << action << arg1 << arg2 << arg3;
+
+    QVariantMap argv;
+    argv.insert(QStringLiteral("arguments"), helperArgs);
+
+    KAuth::Action execAction(QStringLiteral("org.kde.kio.file.exec"));
+    execAction.setHelperId(QStringLiteral("org.kde.kio.file"));
+    execAction.setArguments(argv);
+
+    // if we are unit testing let's pretend to execute the action.
+    if (metaData(QStringLiteral("UnitTesting")) == QLatin1String("true")) {
+        const QString metaData = execAction.name() + ","
+                               + QString::number(execAction.isValid()) + ","
+                               + execAction.helperId() + ","
+                               + QString::number(execAction.status()) + ",";
+        setMetaData(QStringLiteral("TestData"), metaData);
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    auto reply = execAction.execute();
+    if (reply->exec()) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
Index: src/ioslaves/file/file_win.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/ioslaves/file/file_win.cpp
+++ src/ioslaves/file/file_win.cpp
@@ -374,3 +374,9 @@
 
     finished();
 }
+
+bool FileProtocol::execWithElevatedPrivilege(int, ActionType, const QVariant &,
+                                             const QVariant &, const QVariant &)
+{
+    return false;
+}