# Karmada v1.18.3

> Orchestration & Management · 2026-08-31

A broad feature and maintenance release expands scheduling, interpreter, API, and observability capabilities. It also changes defaults, removes deprecated configuration paths, and updates security-related dependencies, so compatibility with existing configurations and integrations may need review.

## Action needed
- **[security · medium]** `github.com/vektra/mockery` updated to v3.5.5, `GO-2025-3900`
  - The dependency `github.com/vektra/mockery` was updated to v3.5.5 to address security concerns. The update relates to advisory `GO-2025-3900`.
- **[security]** The `alpine` base image, updated to `alpine:3.24.1`
  - The base image `alpine` was updated from `alpine:3.23.4` to `alpine:3.24.1` to address security concerns.
- **[security]** The `alpine` base image, updated to `alpine:3.23.4`
  - The base image `alpine` was updated from `alpine:3.23.3` to `alpine:3.23.4` to address security concerns.
- **[breaking]** Member cluster client timeout
  - A default timeout of 32 seconds was added for the member cluster client in `karmada-controller-manager`, to avoid the controller hanging when a member cluster does not respond.

## Check if affected
- **[breaking]** `karmada-operator` external etcd fields removed
  - Applies if you use `CAData`, `CertData`, or `KeyData`.
  - The deprecated external etcd fields `CAData`, `CertData`, and `KeyData` have been removed from `karmada-operator`.

## Plan ahead
- **[breaking]** External etcd fields `CAData`, `CertData`, and `KeyData` removed
  - Applies if you use `CAData`, `CertData`, or `KeyData`.
  - The deprecated external etcd fields `CAData`, `CertData`, and `KeyData` have been removed.
- **[deprecated]** The `--etcd-init-image` flag deprecated
  - Applies if you use `--etcd-init-image`.
  - removal date not announced
  - The `--etcd-init-image` flag for the `init` command is deprecated because it is no longer used and will be removed in a future release.
- **[breaking]** The `member_cluster` Prometheus metric label
  - Applies if your metrics use `cluster` or `cluster_name`.
  - removal date not announced
  - The deprecated Prometheus metric labels `cluster` and `cluster_name` are being replaced by `member_cluster` for identifying a Karmada member cluster. The `member_cluster` label is now used for that purpose.

## Other recorded changes
- 108 (defect_corrected 42, added 37, value_changed 19, constraint_changed 8, default_changed 2)

[Full analysis](https://ratatosk.io/en/releases/karmada/v1.18.3)

[Original release notes](https://github.com/karmada-io/karmada/releases/tag/v1.18.3)