diff --git a/modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/tunnel.go b/modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/tunnel.go
index 439b7556..d5972757 100644
--- a/modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/tunnel.go
+++ b/modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/tunnel.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
@@ -118,9 +119,13 @@ var names sync.Map
 
 // readTunnel asks wg for the interface's state and names each peer by the mesh's names.
 func readTunnel(ctx context.Context) (Tunnel, error) {
-	out, err := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "wg", "show", TunnelInterface, "dump").Output()
+	program, argv := escalated("wg", []string{"show", TunnelInterface, "dump"}, os.Geteuid())
+	out, err := exec.CommandContext(ctx, program, argv...).Output()
 	if err != nil {
 		var ee *exec.ExitError
+		if program == "sudo" && errors.As(err, &ee) && strings.HasPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(string(ee.Stderr)), "sudo:") {
+			return Tunnel{}, fmt.Errorf("wg needs root, and sudo refused the runtime's account: %s", strings.TrimSpace(string(ee.Stderr)))
+		}
 		if errors.As(err, &ee) && strings.Contains(string(ee.Stderr), "No such device") {
 			return Tunnel{}, errNoTunnel
 		}
@@ -147,6 +152,16 @@ func readTunnel(ctx context.Context) (Tunnel, error) {
 	return t, nil
 }
 
+// escalated is the command as it is run: as given when this process is root, else through sudo without a
+// prompt, which the mesh's sudo module allows the runtime's account (ADR 0175 §4: root is the module's
+// concern; the nftables module reads its rules the same way). The tunnel answers only to root.
+func escalated(cmd string, args []string, euid int) (string, []string) {
+	if euid == 0 {
+		return cmd, args
+	}
+	return "sudo", append([]string{"-n", cmd}, args...)
+}
+
 // nameOf is the mesh's name for a peer's own address (a single-address allowed ip), or "".
 func nameOf(ctx context.Context, allowed []string) string {
 	for _, a := range allowed {
diff --git a/modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/tunnel_test.go b/modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/tunnel_test.go
index 0bba1f9e..29f85b78 100644
--- a/modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/tunnel_test.go
+++ b/modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/tunnel_test.go
@@ -79,3 +79,12 @@ func asString(v any) string {
 	s, _ := v.(string)
 	return s
 }
+
+func TestTheTunnelIsReadAsRootOrThroughSudo(t *testing.T) {
+	if p, a := escalated("wg", []string{"show", "mesh0", "dump"}, 0); p != "wg" || strings.Join(a, " ") != "show mesh0 dump" {
+		t.Errorf("as root: %s %v", p, a)
+	}
+	if p, a := escalated("wg", []string{"show", "mesh0", "dump"}, 1000); p != "sudo" || strings.Join(a, " ") != "-n wg show mesh0 dump" {
+		t.Errorf("as an account: %s %v", p, a)
+	}
+}