- Sync node status during kubelet node shutdown.
  Adds an pod admission handler that rejects new pods when the node is in progress of shutting down. ([#98005](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/98005), [@wzshiming](https://github.com/wzshiming)) [SIG Node]

**Affected Versions**:

* The `spec.SecurityContext.Sysctls` field is now dropped during creation of `Pod` objects unless the `Sysctls` feature gate is enabled. ([#72752](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/72752), [@rajathagasthya](https://github.com/rajathagasthya))
    * The `spec.AllowedUnsafeSysctls` and `spec.ForbiddenSysctls` fields are now dropped during creation of `PodSecurityPolicy` objects unless the `Sysctls` feature gate is enabled.

### Instrumentation

- Kubeadm: fix a bug where file copy(backup) could not be executed correctly on Windows platform during upgrade ([#117861](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/117861), [@SataQiu](https://github.com/SataQiu)) [SIG Cluster Lifecycle]

  a bug in the transforming informer during the Resync operation, 
  by making the transforming function idempotent. ([#124352](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/124352), [@wojtek-t](https://github.com/wojtek-t)) [SIG API Machinery and Scheduling]

- Fixed a bug where vSphere client connections where not being closed during testing. Leaked vSphere client sessions were causing resource exhaustion during automated testing. ([#107337](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/107337), [@derek-pryor](https://github.com/derek-pryor))

- Kubeadm: during "upgrade apply/diff/node", in case the `ClusterConfiguration.imageRepository` stored in the "kubeadm-config" `ConfigMap` contains the legacy "k8s.gcr.io" repository, modify it to the new default "registry.k8s.io". Reflect the change in the in-cluster `ConfigMap` only during "upgrade apply". ([#110343](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/110343), [@neolit123](https://github.com/neolit123))...

- Remove ready file and its directory (which is created during volume SetUp) during emptyDir volume TearDown. ([#95770](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/95770), [@jingxu97](https://github.com/jingxu97)) [SIG Storage]

### Other (Cleanup or Flake)

    2. Remove the `kubeadm.alpha.kubernetes.io/cri-socket` annotation from nodes during upgrade operations.
    3. Remove the `--container-runtime-endpoint` flag from the `/var/lib/kubelet/kubeadm-flags.env` file during upgrades. ([#131981](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/131981), [@HirazawaUi](https://github.com/HirazawaUi)) [SIG Cluster Lifecycle]