Linux Kernel 7.1.5 has been released by Greg Kroah-Hartman, featuring 2,070 commits from nearly 800 contributors, which includes critical security fixes and resolution of driver deadlocks. Among the highlights are patches addressing a use-after-free race in POSIX CPU timers and a Bluetooth L2CAP flaw that could lead to memory corruption. The release also fixes filesystem deadlocks and updates ALSA driver firmware handling, with the increase in patch volume being attributed to AI-assisted development and faster discovery cycles in the community. As the mainline development continues with 7.2-rc4, observers note that such large stable updates are becoming the norm rather than an exception
Linux Kernel 7.1.5 Released: 2,070 Commits Deliver Critical Security Fixes and Resolve Driver Deadlocks
Greg Kroah-Hartman has released Linux Kernel 7.1.5, a massive stable maintenance update for the v7.1 series containing 2,070 commits from nearly 800 contributors. The patch addresses critical security vulnerabilities, including a use-after-free race in POSIX CPU timers and a Bluetooth L2CAP flaw that could allow memory corruption. Beyond security fixes, the release resolves filesystem deadlocks in f2fs and XFS, updates ALSA driver firmware handling, and consolidates iomap bio submission logic. Community observers call this massive patch volume the "new normal" driven by AI-assisted development and accelerated discovery cycles, while mainline development pushes forward with 7.2-rc4.
