Kernel regression due to memory leak in previous security patch

[Jason]

I just read about a kernel regression in the Ubuntu Linux kernel (would affect any other derivatives as well if they use it).

A previous kernel update caused a memory leak in certain situations and so they had to roll it back. So if anyone is noticing their Linux system sucking up more RAM recently, that could be why. The fix is a fix to the previous security patch (which is why it's listed in the Security section). A regression is when you roll back to a previous version number often because the new patch broke something.

But, it's not something you have to worry too much about. Just run your update program if it hasn't done an update. It's serious enough to patch right away as it could affect the performance of your box. On some distros, it might take a day or two to appear. If your kernel doesn't update in a week, something is either wrong with your update program or you're using a distro past its end-of-life (EOL) so you're not getting security patches and possibly updates to security patches.

More info here about this fix which just talks about LTS versions of Ubuntu and its official derivatives:

https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4916-2

To sum up, just watch for a new kernel update today or the next if you're using a Ubuntu LTS version or a distro based on an LTS version.