- Fixed bug in CRD Validation Rules (beta) and `ValidatingAdmissionPolicy` (alpha) where all admission requests could result in `internal error: runtime error: index out of range [3] with length 3 evaluating rule: <rule name>` under certain circumstances. ([#114857](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/114857), [@jpbetz](https://github.com/jpbetz))

`settings/v1alpha1`, and `scheduling/v1alpha1` APIs are disabled by default.

* The `system:node` role is no longer automatically granted to the `system:nodes` group in new clusters. The role gives broad read access to resources, including secrets and configmaps. Use the `Node` authorization mode to authorize the nodes in new clusters. To continue providing the `system:node` role to the members of the `system:nodes` group, create an installation-specific `ClusterRoleBinding` in the installation....

- The kube-proxy `sync_proxy_rules_iptables_total` metric has now reverted back
  to its pre-1.27 behavior of tracking the total number of iptables rules that
  kube-proxy is responsible for, rather than only counting the number of rules
  that it re-synced on the last sync. The new `sync_proxy_rules_iptables_last`

`master` in labels and taints. For new clusters, the label `node-role.kubernetes.io/master` will no longer be added to control plane nodes, only the label `node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane` will be added. For clusters that are being upgraded to 1.24 with `kubeadm upgrade apply`, the command will remove the label `node-role.kubernetes.io/master` from existing control plane nodes. For new clusters, both the old taint `node-role.kubernetes.io/master:NoSchedule` and new taint `node-role.kuberne...

- Fix bug in CRD Validation Rules (beta) and ValidatingAdmissionPolicy (alpha) where all admission requests could result in `internal error: runtime error: index out of range [3] with length 3 evaluating rule: <rule name>` under certain circumstances. ([#114864](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/114864), [@jpbetz](https://github.com/jpbetz)) [SIG API Machinery]...

- Fixed bug where providing a FieldPath to a CRD Validation Rule would erroneously affect the reported field path of other unrelated CRD Validation Rules on the same schema. ([#123475](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/123475), [@alexzielenski](https://github.com/alexzielenski))

- `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

- Fix bug in CRD Validation Rules (beta) and ValidatingAdmissionPolicy (alpha) where all admission requests could result in `internal error: runtime error: index out of range [3] with length 3 evaluating rule: <rule name>` under certain circumstances. ([#114861](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/114861), [@jpbetz](https://github.com/jpbetz)) [SIG API Machinery,...