# Linux kernel releases stable updates 7.3.2 and 6.18.61

> **Key takeaway:** Greg Kroah-Hartman has issued maintenance updates for the 7.3 and 6.18 kernel series to address various bugs and improvements across the tree.

**Published:** 2026-11-06T18:09:16+00:00 
**Source:** Linux Weekly News (LWN.net) 
**Category:** kernel-os 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/linux-kernel-releases-stable-updates-732-and-61861.html 

## Summary
Maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman has released two new stable versions of the Linux kernel: 7.3.2 and 6.18.61. These updates are part of the ongoing maintenance cycle for the 7.x and 6.x branches, respectively.

These releases include a variety of changes distributed throughout the kernel tree. Users running these specific kernel series are advised to upgrade to the latest versions to incorporate the included fixes and stability improvements.

## Kernel maintenance details
- **Release Scope:** The update covers two distinct stable branches, providing patches for both the 7.3.x and 6.18.x series.
- **Codebase Impact:** Changes are distributed across the entire kernel tree rather than being isolated to a single subsystem.
- **Maintenance Model:** These releases follow the standard stable kernel release pattern managed by the Linux kernel maintainers.

## Why it matters
These updates ensure continued stability and security for users on both modern and long-term support kernel versions. Linux distributions and system administrators will need to pull these updates into their respective package repositories to maintain system integrity.