* Fix a bug in kubelet hostport logic which flushes KUBE-MARK-MASQ iptables chain ([#32413](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/32413), [@freehan](https://github.com/freehan))

- The kubelet now creates an iptables chain named `KUBE-IPTABLES-HINT` in
  the `mangle` table. Containerized components that need to modify iptables
  rules in the host network namespace can use the existence of this chain
  to more-reliably determine whether the system is using iptables-legacy or

  - update setcap/debian-base to bookworm-v1.0.1
  - update distroless-iptables to v0.4.5 ([#123228](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/123228), [@cpanato](https://github.com/cpanato)) [SIG API Machinery, Architecture, Release and Testing]

### Bug or Regression

- Fixes a race condition in the iptables mode of kube-proxy in 1.27 and later

## Changelog since v1.20.12

## Changes by Kind

### Feature

- Update debian-base, debian-iptables, setcap images to pick up CVE fixes
  - Debian-base to v1.9.0
  - Debian-iptables to v1.6.7 (#106148, @cpanato) [SIG Release and Testing]

### Failing Test

- Fixes hostpath storage e2e tests within SELinux enabled env (#105788, @Elbehery) [SIG Testing]

- Added a kube-proxy flag (`--iptables-localhost-nodeports`, default true) to allow disabling NodePort services on loopback addresses. Note: this only applies to iptables mode and ipv4. ([#108250](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/108250), [@cyclinder](https://github.com/cyclinder))

* Restores --username and --password flags to kubectl ([#75451](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/75451), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))
* Bump debian-iptables image to v11.0.1 to fix security vulnerabilities. ([#75077](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/75077), [@grayluck](https://github.com/grayluck))

- Updates `debian-iptables` to v1.6.7 to pick up CVE fixes. ([#104970](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/104970), [@PushkarJ](https://github.com/PushkarJ))
- Updates the following images to pick up CVE fixes:
  - `debian` to v1.9.0
  - `debian-iptables` to v1.6.6

* proxy/iptables: don't sync proxy rules if services map didn't change ([#38996](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/38996), [@dcbw](https://github.com/dcbw))
* Update kube-proxy image to be based off of Debian 8.6 base image. ([#39695](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/39695), [@ixdy](https://github.com/ixdy))

- In "large" clusters, kube-proxy in iptables mode will now sometimes
  leave unused rules in iptables for a while (up to `--iptables-sync-period`)
  before deleting them. This improves performance by not requiring it to
  check for stale rules on every sync. (In smaller clusters, it will still

* Bump up version number of debian-base, debian-hyperkube-base and debian-iptables.  ([#67026](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/67026), [@satyasm](https://github.com/satyasm))
    * Also updates dependencies of users of debian-base.
    * debian-base version 0.3.1 is already available.