- `kube-proxy`: Added an option/flag for configuring the `nf_conntrack_tcp_be_liberal` sysctl (in the kernel's netfilter conntrack subsystem).  When enabled, `kube-proxy` will not install the `DROP` rule for invalid conntrack states, which currently breaks users of asymmetric routing. ([#120354](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/120354), [@aroradaman](https://github.com/aroradaman))

### Feature

#### Network

- The deprecated flag `--conntrack-max` has been removed from kube-proxy. Users of this flag should switch to `--conntrack-min` and `--conntrack-max-per-core` instead. ([#78399](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/78399), [@rikatz](https://github.com/rikatz))

  fix: ensure InstanceShutdownByProviderID return false for creating Azure VMs ([#104448](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/104448), [@feiskyer](https://github.com/feiskyer)) [SIG Cloud Provider]
- Kube-proxy: delete stale conntrack UDP entries for loadbalancer ingress IP. ([#104152](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/104152), [@aojea](https://github.com/aojea)) [SIG Network]

* Reduce CSI log and event spam. ([#71581](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/71581), [@saad-ali](https://github.com/saad-ali))
* Add conntrack as a dependency of kubelet and kubeadm when building rpms and debs. Both require conntrack to handle cleanup of connections. ([#71540](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/71540), [@mauilion](https://github.com/mauilion))

- github.com/moby/term: [df9cb8a → 9d4ed18](https://github.com/moby/term/compare/df9cb8a...9d4ed18)
- github.com/mwitkow/go-conntrack: [cc309e4 → 2f06839](https://github.com/mwitkow/go-conntrack/compare/cc309e4...2f06839)
- github.com/onsi/ginkgo: [v1.11.0 → v1.14.0](https://github.com/onsi/ginkgo/compare/v1.11.0...v1.14.0)

- Kubelet TCP and HTTP probes are now more effective using networking resources:
  conntrack entries, sockets. This is achieved by reducing the `TIME-WAIT` state
  of the connection to 1 second, instead of the defaults 60 seconds. This allows
  kubelet to free the socket, and free conntrack entry and ephemeral port associated. ([#115143](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/115143), [@aojea](https://github.com/aojea))

- Kube-proxy: delete stale conntrack UDP entries for loadbalancer ingress IP. ([#104151](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/104151), [@aojea](https://github.com/aojea)) [SIG Network]

## Changes by Kind

### Feature

- Kubelet TCP and HTTP probes are more effective using networking resources: conntrack entries, sockets, ... 

- Fixes a regression introduced in 1.29 where conntrack entries for UDP connections
  to deleted pods did not get cleaned up correctly, which could (among other things)

- During initialization phase (preflight), kubeadm now verifies the presence of the conntrack executable ([#85857](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/85857), [@hnanni](https://github.com/hnanni)) [SIG Cluster Lifecycle]