Description

The Linux kernel development team has officially ended support for the Linux Kernel 7.1 branch, meaning it will no longer receive security patches, bug fixes, or maintenance updates. As a standard (non-Long-Term Support) release, the 7.1 series followed a short maintenance lifecycle and concluded with version 7.1.13. Organizations and users still operating this kernel branch are advised to migrate to a supported release to remain protected against newly discovered vulnerabilities and stability issues. Linux Kernel 7.1 was introduced on June 14, 2026 and received thirteen maintenance updates before reaching end of life. The final release, Linux Kernel 7.1.13, addressed dozens of issues across core subsystems, including virtualization (KVM), USB, wireless networking, audio, encryption components, and multiple file systems. With the release cycle now complete, upstream maintainers will no longer provide fixes for functional defects or newly identified security vulnerabilities affecting the 7.1 branch. Users are encouraged to migrate to the actively maintained Linux Kernel 7.2 series, which continues to receive regular stability improvements and security updates. Alternatively, organizations requiring extended maintenance should deploy a supported Long-Term Support (LTS) kernel such as 6.18, 6.12, 6.6, 6.1, 5.15, or 5.10. Administrators should also note that major Linux distributions—including Ubuntu, Debian, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux—often maintain customized kernels and backport security fixes independently. Consequently, running an older kernel version supplied by a distribution does not necessarily indicate that the system is unpatched.