polkit and pkla-check-authorization process going TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE / DEFUNCT in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

Issue

• journalctl and /var/log/secure continously shows below errors at authentication.

  Oct 10 08:10:11 localhost polkitd[1404]: /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/49-polkit-pkla-compat.rules:21: Error: Error spawning helper: Timed out after 10 seconds (g-io-error-quark, 24)
  Oct 10 08:10:11 localhost polkitd[1404]: Error evaluating authorization rules
  Oct 10 08:10:21 localhost polkitd[1404]: /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/49-polkit-pkla-compat.rules:21: Error: Error spawning helper: Timed out after 10 seconds (g-io-error-quark, 24)
  Oct 10 08:10:21 localhost polkitd[1404]: Error evaluating authorization rules
  

• Server going hung due to high load caused by pkla-check-authorization process going D state.

• [pkla-check-auth] <defunct> seen in process list.