* The `kube-cloud-controller-manager` flag `--service-account-private-key-file` was non-functional and is now deprecated. ([#50289](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/50289), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))
    * The `kube-cloud-controller-manager` flag `--use-service-account-credentials` is now honored consistently, regardless of whether `--service-account-private-key-file` was specified.

### SIG Auth

- TokenRequest and TokenRequestProjection are now beta features. To enable these feature, the API server needs to be started with the `--service-account-issuer`, `--service-account-signing-key-file`, and `--service-account-api-audiences` flags.
([#67349](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/67349), [@mikedanese](https://github.com/mikedanese))

- The alpha feature `ServiceAccountIssuerDiscovery` enables publishing OIDC discovery information and service account token verification keys at `/.well-known/openid-configuration` and `/openid/v1/jwks` endpoints by API servers configured to issue service account tokens. ([#80724](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/80724), [@cceckman](https://github.com/cceckman)) [SIG API Machinery, Auth, Cluster Lifecycle and Testing]

- `kube-controller-manager`: The `LegacyServiceAccountTokenCleanUp` feature gate
  is now available as alpha (off by default). When enabled, the `legacy-service-account-token-cleaner`
  controller loop removes service account token secrets that have not been used
  in the time specified by `--legacy-service-account-token-clean-up-period` (defaulting
  to one year), **and are** referenced from the `.secrets` list of a ServiceAccount

- Following metrics from kube-controller-manager are now marked as with the ALPHA stability level:
  `storage_count_attachable_volumes_in_use`
  `attachdetach_controller_total_volumes`
  `pv_collector_bound_pv_count`
  `pv_collector_unbound_pv_count`
  `pv_collector_bound_pvc_count`
  `pv_collector_unbound_pvc_count`
  ([#84896](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/84896), [@RainbowMango](https://github.com/RainbowMango))

* An `automountServiceAccountToken` field was added to ServiceAccount and PodSpec objects. If set to `false` on a pod spec, no service account token is automounted in the pod. If set to `false` on a service account, no service account token is automounted for that service account unless explicitly overridden in the pod spec. ([#37953](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/37953), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))

* Some components like kube-dns and kube-proxy could fail to load the service account token when started within a pod. Properly handle empty configurations to try loading the service account config. ([#31947](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/31947), [@smarterclayton](https://github.com/smarterclayton))

- Node information is now embedded into Pod-bound service account tokens as additional metadata. The 'JTI' field is set in issued service account tokens, and this information is embedded as `authentication.kubernetes.io/credential-id` in the user's ExtraInfo. ([#123135](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/123135), [@munnerz](https://github.com/munnerz))...

- Exposed CSI volume stats via kubelet volume metrics ([#76188](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/76188), [@humblec](https://github.com/humblec))
- Added a new `storage_operation_status_count` metric for kube-controller-manager and kubelet to count success and error statues. ([#75750](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/75750), [@msau42](https://github.com/msau42))

### Deprecated/changed metrics

resource belongs to. ([#43338](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/43338), [@fabianofranz](https://github.com/fabianofranz))

* `--service-account-lookup` now defaults to true, requiring the Secret API object containing the token to exist in order for a service account token to be valid. This enables service account tokens to be revoked by deleting the Secret object containing the token. ([#44071](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/44071), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))...