On July 4, the Linux kernel stable team released new point updates for various long-term support (LTS) kernel branches, including versions 6.18.38, 6.12.95, and others, to enhance stability and security. Key fixes include addressing out-of-bounds reads in ksmbd, improving TCP-AO security, and strengthening the NFS server to prevent silent data loss. The older branches, 5.10 and 5.15, are nearing their end-of-life in December 2026, prompting users to plan migrations to newer versions. Meanwhile, development continues on Linux kernel 7.2, which is expected to introduce several performance improvements and updates, including better scheduling for virtual machines and support for new hardware features
Linux LTS Kernels 6.18.38, 6.12.95, 6.6.144, 6.1.177, 5.15.211, and 5.10.260 Released With Security Patches
The Linux kernel stable team shipped fresh point releases across all active longterm branches on July 4, capping at Linux 6.18.38. The update focuses heavily on stability and security, closing out-of-bounds reads in ksmbd, fixing TCP-AO use-after-free paths, and hardening the NFS server against silent data loss during deferred writeback errors. Meanwhile, the 5.10 and 5.15 trees are counting down to their December end-of-life deadline, pushing embedded and enterprise vendors to finalize migration plans for the 6.1 or 6.6 branches.
