This error comes when you want to start the listener service from wrong user. Suppose you have installed 11g2 RAC then you can start listener of grid using grid or oracle user but if you want to start the listener service from any user other than them say as test below then you will get error : TNS-12555: TNS:permission denied
[test@node1 ~]$ /u01/11.2.0/grid/bin/lsnrctl start LISTENER
LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 11.2.0.3.0 - Production on 21-SEP-2013 11:42:57
Copyright (c) 1991, 2011, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Starting /u01/11.2.0/grid/bin/tnslsnr: please wait...
TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 11.2.0.3.0 - Production
System parameter file is /u01/11.2.0/grid/network/admin/listener.ora
Log messages written to /u01/11.2.0/grid/log/diag/tnslsnr/node1/listener/alert/log.xml
Error listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=LISTENER)))
TNS-12555: TNS:permission denied TNS-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error
TNS-00525: Insufficient privilege for operation
Linux Error: 1: Operation not permitted
Listener failed to start. See the error message(s) above...
[test@node1 ~]$ /u01/11.2.0/grid/bin/lsnrctl start LISTENER
LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 11.2.0.3.0 - Production on 21-SEP-2013 11:42:57
Copyright (c) 1991, 2011, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Starting /u01/11.2.0/grid/bin/tnslsnr: please wait...
TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 11.2.0.3.0 - Production
System parameter file is /u01/11.2.0/grid/network/admin/listener.ora
Log messages written to /u01/11.2.0/grid/log/diag/tnslsnr/node1/listener/alert/log.xml
Error listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=LISTENER)))
TNS-12555: TNS:permission denied TNS-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error
TNS-00525: Insufficient privilege for operation
Linux Error: 1: Operation not permitted
Listener failed to start. See the error message(s) above...