On August 3, 2026, stable point updates for three active Linux LTS kernels—v6.18.42, v6.12.101, and v6.6.148—were released, focusing on security hardening and AMDGPU fixes. These updates address critical patches for various issues, including ksmbd ACL validation and memory safety concerns, while enhancing driver reliability through significant code refinements. The updates also ensure that existing LTS deployments continue to receive essential fixes beyond their end-of-life dates, particularly for versions 6.18 and 6.12, which are supported until December 2028. Users of the Linux kernel are encouraged to utilize these updates for improved security and stability, especially in production environments
Linux LTS Kernel 6.18.42, 6.12.101, and 6.6.148 Released: Security Hardening and AMDGPU Fixes Included
Greg Kroah-Hartman and Sasha Levin delivered stable point updates for three active LTS kernels on August 3, 2026, introducing v6.18.42, v6.12.101, and v6.6.148 to the stable queue. These builds prioritize security and stability, packing critical patches for ksmbd ACL validation, dm-verity buffer overflows, and BPF memory safety issues across all tracks. Driver maintainers focused heavily on reliability, notably converting BUG_ON() calls to WARN_ON() in the AMDGPU subsystem from gfx8 to gfx12 and backporting a major 1,900-line refactor of the DRM buddy allocator. With the mainline kernel advancing toward v7.2-rc6, these updates ensure existing LTS deployments continue receiving vital fixes well past December 2027.
