Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka finally includes proven memory-safe security breakthroughs

Canonical has just released Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka for download. One of the main features in this update is the inclusion of memory-safe implementations of coreutils via uutils and sudo-rs. Canonical is adopting more modern implementations to increase the resilience of critical system software.

The introduction of memory-safe sudo reduces the attack surface, improving overall security. However, the traditional sudo tool remains available as an option for anyone who requires it. The memory safety of these tools is inherited from the fact that they’re written in Rust, a memory-safe language. By default, Rust won’t let you compile code that has code that could cause memory errors that could enable vulnerabilities.

Ubuntu 25.10 ships with the latest Linux kernel 6.17, which gives users early access to nested virtualization on ARM platforms such as NVIDIA Grace and AmpereOne. Nested virtualization enables developers to run hypervisors inside virtual machines, supporting advanced CI/CD and stronger workload isolation.

The kernel also lays the groundwork for native Intel TDX host support with an eye on the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, ideal for confidential AI and data clean room workloads. The release also adopts RVA23, a recently ratified baseline profile for RISC-V builds, accelerating ecosystem growth and ensuring compatibility.

The desktop environment in Ubuntu 25.10 has been upgraded to GNOME 49, which brings media and power controls to the lock screen. New default applications are also included; these are the modern image viewer Loupe and the new terminal emulator Ptyxis.

Accessibility has been improved in the App Center and Settings panels with better support for high contrast, keyboard navigation, and screen reading that aligns with the European Accessibility Act (EAA). Additionally, selecting “install restricted extras” now enables AAC Bluetooth codec support and hardware-accelerated screen recording in GNOME, improving performance.

This release is also notable for developers as it ships with significant toolchain updates, including OpenJDK 25, Python 3.14 RC3, Golang 1.25, and GCC 15. Rust 1.85 is also included as the default, with 1.88 also available. A preview of the new Zig language compiler is also included for amd64 and arm64.

Furthermore, a preview of .NET 10 is included, and the .NET developer experience has been enhanced with an improved Snapcraft plugin for monorepo setups and better MSBuild support. PowerShell tools are also now available on Ubuntu for arm64, ppc64el, and s390x platforms via a snap.

You can download Ubuntu 25.10 now from the downloads page, just scroll down a bit for the download link.

Source: Canonical

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Posted Friday 10 October 2025 at 2:24 am AEST (my time).

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