diff --git a/hostapd/ctrl_iface.c b/hostapd/ctrl_iface.c
index a0604ed09..18621d02c 100644
--- a/hostapd/ctrl_iface.c
+++ b/hostapd/ctrl_iface.c
@@ -3506,18 +3506,18 @@ fail:
 	}
 
 	if (hapd->conf->ctrl_interface_gid_set &&
-	    chown(hapd->conf->ctrl_interface, -1,
-		  hapd->conf->ctrl_interface_gid) < 0) {
-		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "chown[ctrl_interface]: %s",
+	    lchown(hapd->conf->ctrl_interface, -1,
+		   hapd->conf->ctrl_interface_gid) < 0) {
+		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "lchown[ctrl_interface]: %s",
 			   strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (!hapd->conf->ctrl_interface_gid_set &&
 	    hapd->iface->interfaces->ctrl_iface_group &&
-	    chown(hapd->conf->ctrl_interface, -1,
-		  hapd->iface->interfaces->ctrl_iface_group) < 0) {
-		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "chown[ctrl_interface]: %s",
+	    lchown(hapd->conf->ctrl_interface, -1,
+		   hapd->iface->interfaces->ctrl_iface_group) < 0) {
+		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "lchown[ctrl_interface]: %s",
 			   strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -3590,16 +3590,16 @@ fail:
 	}
 
 	if (hapd->conf->ctrl_interface_gid_set &&
-	    chown(fname, -1, hapd->conf->ctrl_interface_gid) < 0) {
-		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "chown[ctrl_interface/ifname]: %s",
+	    lchown(fname, -1, hapd->conf->ctrl_interface_gid) < 0) {
+		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "lchown[ctrl_interface/ifname]: %s",
 			   strerror(errno));
 		goto fail;
 	}
 
 	if (!hapd->conf->ctrl_interface_gid_set &&
 	    hapd->iface->interfaces->ctrl_iface_group &&
-	    chown(fname, -1, hapd->iface->interfaces->ctrl_iface_group) < 0) {
-		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "chown[ctrl_interface/ifname]: %s",
+	    lchown(fname, -1, hapd->iface->interfaces->ctrl_iface_group) < 0) {
+		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "lchown[ctrl_interface/ifname]: %s",
 			   strerror(errno));
 		goto fail;
 	}
@@ -4273,9 +4273,9 @@ fail:
 			goto fail;
 		}
 	} else if (interface->ctrl_iface_group &&
-		   chown(interface->global_iface_path, -1,
-			 interface->ctrl_iface_group) < 0) {
-		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "chown[ctrl_interface]: %s",
+		   lchown(interface->global_iface_path, -1,
+			  interface->ctrl_iface_group) < 0) {
+		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "lchown[ctrl_interface]: %s",
 			   strerror(errno));
 		goto fail;
 	}
@@ -4332,8 +4332,8 @@ fail:
 	}
 
 	if (interface->ctrl_iface_group &&
-	    chown(fname, -1, interface->ctrl_iface_group) < 0) {
-		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "chown[ctrl_interface]: %s",
+	    lchown(fname, -1, interface->ctrl_iface_group) < 0) {
+		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "lchown[ctrl_interface]: %s",
 			   strerror(errno));
 		goto fail;
 	}
diff --git a/hs20/client/osu_client.c b/hs20/client/osu_client.c
index 636e10666..b48903dc4 100644
--- a/hs20/client/osu_client.c
+++ b/hs20/client/osu_client.c
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ static int android_update_permission(const char *path, mode_t mode)
 
 	/* Allow processes running with Group ID as AID_WIFI,
 	 * to read files from SP, SP/<fqdn>, Cert and osu-info directories */
-	if (chown(path, -1, AID_WIFI)) {
-		wpa_printf(MSG_INFO, "CTRL: Could not chown directory: %s",
+	if (lchown(path, -1, AID_WIFI)) {
+		wpa_printf(MSG_INFO, "CTRL: Could not lchown directory: %s",
 			   strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface_unix.c b/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface_unix.c
index b88c80a99..71fe7ed6b 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface_unix.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface_unix.c
@@ -570,8 +570,8 @@ static int wpas_ctrl_iface_open_sock(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (gid_set && chown(dir, -1, gid) < 0) {
-		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "chown[ctrl_interface=%s,gid=%d]: %s",
+	if (gid_set && lchown(dir, -1, gid) < 0) {
+		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "lchown[ctrl_interface=%s,gid=%d]: %s",
 			   dir, (int) gid, strerror(errno));
 		goto fail;
 	}
@@ -638,8 +638,8 @@ static int wpas_ctrl_iface_open_sock(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (gid_set && chown(fname, -1, gid) < 0) {
-		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "chown[ctrl_interface=%s,gid=%d]: %s",
+	if (gid_set && lchown(fname, -1, gid) < 0) {
+		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "lchown[ctrl_interface=%s,gid=%d]: %s",
 			   fname, (int) gid, strerror(errno));
 		goto fail;
 	}
@@ -1235,9 +1235,9 @@ static int wpas_global_ctrl_iface_open_sock(struct wpa_global *global,
 			wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "ctrl_interface_group=%d",
 				   (int) gid);
 		}
-		if (chown(ctrl, -1, gid) < 0) {
+		if (lchown(ctrl, -1, gid) < 0) {
 			wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR,
-				   "chown[global_ctrl_interface=%s,gid=%d]: %s",
+				   "lchown[global_ctrl_interface=%s,gid=%d]: %s",
 				   ctrl, (int) gid, strerror(errno));
 			goto fail;
 		}
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/hs20_supplicant.c b/wpa_supplicant/hs20_supplicant.c
index 267612afc..cb236df18 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/hs20_supplicant.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/hs20_supplicant.c
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ static void hs20_set_osu_access_permission(const char *osu_dir,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (chown(fname, statbuf.st_uid, statbuf.st_gid) < 0) {
+	if (lchown(fname, statbuf.st_uid, statbuf.st_gid) < 0) {
 		wpa_printf(MSG_WARNING, "Cannot change the ownership for %s",
 			   fname);
 	}