Linux Kernel 6.12.66 released
Linux Kernel 6.12.66 LTS has been released, marking another milestone in the ongoing development of this open-source operating system. One of the key changes incorporated into this release is the fix for a memory leak in the bpf_prog_test_run_xdp() function.
Crucially, Shardul Bankar stepped in and whipped up a patch for it after finding the problem. He helps keep the Linux kernel community healthy by fixing these niggles head-on. The change basically ensures that error situations handled by bpf_prog_test_run_xdp() properly clean up memory used earlier during setup, thanks to functions like bpf_ctx_init().
On another front, ALSA folks have some good news too. Takashi Iwai, who knows his way around the ALSA driver for Intel sound cards, pushed a fix focused on the HDA controller probing process. He's basically added a safety net: when something goes wrong matching config tables during setup (a common thing if you're mixing different generations of chips), it will now default to using an older, known-working legacy driver instead.
This update helps bridge gaps between newer and older hardware configurations sometimes handled inconsistently in the kernel. It prevents cases where one driver might incorrectly load or fail entirely on certain setups, often resulting in sound not working properly from time to time. So you're less likely to run into quirky audio problems post-update.
Elsewhere, Jarkko Sakkinen fixed a potential security headache with a TPM2-sessions code dealing with secure hardware keys. His patch stops an out-of-range index bug that could have caused memory corruption down the line; it's subtle stuff like this that matters for keeping things stable and safe.
The release continued beyond this point. Other developers also contributed their own fixes in various areas. Think of tweaks to SPI drivers (the serial communication bits) or updates within ASoC audio subsystems, lots of pieces making the whole kernel better under the hood.
Then there were those smaller things addressed too. For example, the team addressed minor issues such as resolving a misplaced format specifier in some debug helper code or managing an excessively eager signal that occasionally led to timeouts in other areas, such as SCSI drivers. They might seem minor, but they're part of keeping everything playing nice together.
Linux kernel 6.12.66 released
Linux kernel version 6.12.66 is now available:
Full source: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.12.66.tar.xz
Patch: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/patch-6.12.66.xz
PGP Signature: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.12.66.tar.sign
You can view the summary of the changes at the following URL:
https://git.kernel.org/stable/ds/v6.12.66/v6.12.65
