diff --git a/.github/workflows/golang-test-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/golang-test-linux.yml
index eea69eaa7..e4388bfe3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/golang-test-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/golang-test-linux.yml
@@ -244,6 +244,14 @@ jobs:
           NB_TEST_PKCS11_DISPOSABLE: "1"
         run: CGO_ENABLED=0 go test -tags pkcs11 -timeout 5m ./client/internal/pkcs11/... ./client/internal/certproof/...
 
+      - name: Test SSH privilege drop
+        # purego marks the runtime as cgo without libc's setxid hooks, so the syscall
+        # package's setuid family panics in this build. Drop privileges as root to cover it.
+        run: |
+          CGO_ENABLED=0 go test -c -tags 'pkcs11 privileged' -o "$RUNNER_TEMP/ssh-server.test" ./client/ssh/server/
+          sudo "$RUNNER_TEMP/ssh-server.test" -test.run '^TestDropPrivilegesAllThreads$' -test.v
+          CGO_ENABLED=0 GOARCH=arm64 go test -c -tags 'pkcs11 privileged' -o "$RUNNER_TEMP/ssh-server-arm64.test" ./client/ssh/server/
+
   test_client_on_docker:
     name: "Client (Docker) / Unit"
     needs: [build-cache]
diff --git a/.golangci.yaml b/.golangci.yaml
index e350b9de7..f52f822dd 100644
--- a/.golangci.yaml
+++ b/.golangci.yaml
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ linters:
   settings:
     errcheck:
       check-type-assertions: false
+    forbidigo:
+      analyze-types: true
+      forbid:
+        - pattern: ^(fmt\.Print(|f|ln)|print|println)$
+        # Builds that link libc through purego mark the runtime as cgo without
+        # registering the libc setxid hooks, so these panic in AllThreadsSyscall.
+        - pattern: ^(syscall|unix)\.(Setgroups|Set(e|re|res)?[ug]id|AllThreadsSyscall6?)$
+          pkg: ^(syscall|golang\.org/x/sys/unix)$
+          msg: use the setgroups/setgid/setuid helpers in client/ssh/server, which go through libc in purego builds
     gocritic:
       disabled-checks:
         - commentFormatting
@@ -86,6 +95,9 @@ linters:
       - linters:
           - forbidigo
         path: signal/cmd/root\.go
+      - linters:
+          - forbidigo
+        path: client/ssh/server/setid_unix\.go
       - linters:
           - unused
         path: sharedsock/filter\.go
diff --git a/client/ssh/server/executor_drop_privileged_linux_test.go b/client/ssh/server/executor_drop_privileged_linux_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..27cc1384b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/ssh/server/executor_drop_privileged_linux_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+//go:build linux && privileged
+
+package server
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+const envDropPrivilegesChild = "NB_TEST_DROP_PRIVILEGES_CHILD"
+
+const (
+	dropTargetUID = 65534
+	dropTargetGID = 65534
+	dropExtraGID  = 65533
+)
+
+// TestDropPrivilegesAllThreads drops privileges in a child process, because the drop
+// cannot be undone, and checks that every OS thread of that process carries the target
+// credentials. A drop applied to the calling thread only would leave the others as root.
+func TestDropPrivilegesAllThreads(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getenv(envDropPrivilegesChild) == "1" {
+		dropPrivilegesChild(t)
+		return
+	}
+	if os.Geteuid() != 0 {
+		t.Skip("requires root")
+	}
+
+	cmd := exec.Command(os.Args[0], "-test.run=^TestDropPrivilegesAllThreads$", "-test.v")
+	cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), envDropPrivilegesChild+"=1")
+	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+	t.Logf("child output:\n%s", out)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "child must drop privileges on all threads")
+	assert.Contains(t, string(out), "--- PASS: TestDropPrivilegesAllThreads", "child test must run and pass")
+}
+
+func dropPrivilegesChild(t *testing.T) {
+	// Park goroutines on their own OS threads so the process has threads other than
+	// the one that performs the drop.
+	release := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(release)
+	ready := make(chan struct{})
+	for range 4 {
+		go func() {
+			runtime.LockOSThread()
+			defer runtime.UnlockOSThread()
+			ready <- struct{}{}
+			<-release
+		}()
+		<-ready
+	}
+
+	pd := NewPrivilegeDropper()
+	require.NoError(t, pd.DropPrivileges(dropTargetUID, dropTargetGID, []uint32{dropTargetGID, dropExtraGID}))
+
+	tasks, err := filepath.Glob("/proc/self/task/*/status")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Greater(t, len(tasks), 4, "process must have several threads for the check to mean anything")
+
+	want := map[string]string{
+		"Uid":    fmt.Sprintf("%d\t%d\t%d\t%d", dropTargetUID, dropTargetUID, dropTargetUID, dropTargetUID),
+		"Gid":    fmt.Sprintf("%d\t%d\t%d\t%d", dropTargetGID, dropTargetGID, dropTargetGID, dropTargetGID),
+		"Groups": fmt.Sprintf("%d %d", dropExtraGID, dropTargetGID),
+	}
+	for _, task := range tasks {
+		got := readStatusFields(t, task)
+		for field, value := range want {
+			assert.Equal(t, value, got[field], "%s of %s", field, task)
+		}
+	}
+
+	assert.Error(t, seteuid(0), "euid 0 must not be restorable after the drop")
+	assert.Error(t, setegid(0), "egid 0 must not be restorable after the drop")
+}
+
+func readStatusFields(t *testing.T, path string) map[string]string {
+	f, err := os.Open(path)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	fields := make(map[string]string)
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(f)
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		key, value, ok := strings.Cut(scanner.Text(), ":")
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		fields[key] = strings.TrimSpace(value)
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, scanner.Err())
+	return fields
+}
diff --git a/client/ssh/server/executor_unix.go b/client/ssh/server/executor_unix.go
index ee0b0ff78..5b42190ab 100644
--- a/client/ssh/server/executor_unix.go
+++ b/client/ssh/server/executor_unix.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
-	"syscall"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
@@ -151,15 +150,15 @@ func (pd *PrivilegeDropper) setGroupsAndIDs(targetUID, targetGID uint32, supplem
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := syscall.Setgroups(groups); err != nil {
+	if err := setgroups(groups); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("setgroups to %v: %w", groups, err)
 	}
 
-	if err := syscall.Setgid(int(targetGID)); err != nil {
+	if err := setgid(int(targetGID)); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("setgid to %d: %w", targetGID, err)
 	}
 
-	if err := syscall.Setuid(int(targetUID)); err != nil {
+	if err := setuid(int(targetUID)); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("setuid to %d: %w", targetUID, err)
 	}
 
@@ -182,12 +181,12 @@ func (pd *PrivilegeDropper) validatePrivilegeDropSuccess(targetUID, targetGID ui
 // validatePrivilegeDropReversibility ensures privileges cannot be restored
 func (pd *PrivilegeDropper) validatePrivilegeDropReversibility(targetUID, targetGID uint32, originalUID, originalGID int) error {
 	if originalGID != int(targetGID) {
-		if err := syscall.Setegid(originalGID); err == nil {
+		if err := setegid(originalGID); err == nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("privilege drop validation failed: able to restore original GID %d", originalGID)
 		}
 	}
 	if originalUID != int(targetUID) {
-		if err := syscall.Seteuid(originalUID); err == nil {
+		if err := seteuid(originalUID); err == nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("privilege drop validation failed: able to restore original UID %d", originalUID)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/client/ssh/server/setid_libc_linux.go b/client/ssh/server/setid_libc_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..13a9f254c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/ssh/server/setid_libc_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+//go:build pkcs11 && linux && !android && (amd64 || arm64)
+
+package server
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"runtime"
+	"sync"
+	"syscall"
+
+	"github.com/ebitengine/purego"
+)
+
+// This build links libc through purego, whose fakecgo runtime marks the binary as cgo
+// without registering the libc hooks a real cgo build provides. syscall's setuid family
+// then panics in AllThreadsSyscall, so the calls go to libc directly: glibc applies them
+// to every thread, and all Go threads here are created through pthread_create.
+
+type libcSetID struct {
+	setgroups     func(size uintptr, list *uint32) int32
+	setgid        func(gid uint32) int32
+	setuid        func(uid uint32) int32
+	setegid       func(egid uint32) int32
+	seteuid       func(euid uint32) int32
+	errnoLocation func() *int32
+}
+
+var (
+	libcSetIDOnce sync.Once
+	libcSetIDFns  libcSetID
+	libcSetIDErr  error
+)
+
+func loadLibcSetID() (*libcSetID, error) {
+	libcSetIDOnce.Do(func() {
+		syms := []struct {
+			fn   any
+			name string
+		}{
+			{&libcSetIDFns.setgroups, "setgroups"},
+			{&libcSetIDFns.setgid, "setgid"},
+			{&libcSetIDFns.setuid, "setuid"},
+			{&libcSetIDFns.setegid, "setegid"},
+			{&libcSetIDFns.seteuid, "seteuid"},
+			{&libcSetIDFns.errnoLocation, "__errno_location"},
+		}
+		for _, s := range syms {
+			addr, err := purego.Dlsym(purego.RTLD_DEFAULT, s.name)
+			if err != nil {
+				libcSetIDErr = fmt.Errorf("resolve libc %s: %w", s.name, err)
+				return
+			}
+			purego.RegisterFunc(s.fn, addr)
+		}
+	})
+	if libcSetIDErr != nil {
+		return nil, libcSetIDErr
+	}
+	return &libcSetIDFns, nil
+}
+
+// libcCall runs call on a locked thread so errno is read from the thread that set it.
+func libcCall(call func(*libcSetID) int32) error {
+	fns, err := loadLibcSetID()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	runtime.LockOSThread()
+	defer runtime.UnlockOSThread()
+
+	if call(fns) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if errno := *fns.errnoLocation(); errno != 0 {
+		return syscall.Errno(errno)
+	}
+	return syscall.EINVAL
+}
+
+func setgroups(gids []int) error {
+	list := make([]uint32, len(gids))
+	for i, g := range gids {
+		list[i] = uint32(g)
+	}
+	return libcCall(func(f *libcSetID) int32 {
+		if len(list) == 0 {
+			return f.setgroups(0, nil)
+		}
+		return f.setgroups(uintptr(len(list)), &list[0])
+	})
+}
+
+func setgid(gid int) error {
+	return libcCall(func(f *libcSetID) int32 { return f.setgid(uint32(gid)) })
+}
+
+func setuid(uid int) error {
+	return libcCall(func(f *libcSetID) int32 { return f.setuid(uint32(uid)) })
+}
+
+func setegid(egid int) error {
+	return libcCall(func(f *libcSetID) int32 { return f.setegid(uint32(egid)) })
+}
+
+func seteuid(euid int) error {
+	return libcCall(func(f *libcSetID) int32 { return f.seteuid(uint32(euid)) })
+}
diff --git a/client/ssh/server/setid_unix.go b/client/ssh/server/setid_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bd9fe3856
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/ssh/server/setid_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+//go:build unix && !(pkcs11 && linux && !android && (amd64 || arm64))
+
+package server
+
+import "syscall"
+
+func setgroups(gids []int) error {
+	return syscall.Setgroups(gids)
+}
+
+func setgid(gid int) error {
+	return syscall.Setgid(gid)
+}
+
+func setuid(uid int) error {
+	return syscall.Setuid(uid)
+}
+
+func setegid(egid int) error {
+	return syscall.Setegid(egid)
+}
+
+func seteuid(euid int) error {
+	return syscall.Seteuid(euid)
+}