NetworkManager 1.58.1 has been released as the latest update to the widely used Linux network management service. It’s a stable maintenance release focused on fixes across Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, DNS, DHCP, and 802.1X handling. The full list is in the changelog, and source tarballs are on the GitLab release page.
Here’s what changed.
Table of Contents
Wi-Fi and mobile broadband
One notable change concerns WPA3 networks. The release fixes automatic connection to SAE-based WPA3 networks using profiles configured with key-mgmt=wpa-psk, addressing cases where NetworkManager failed to reconnect automatically.
On the mobile side, another fix ensures IPv4 forwarding is properly enabled on mobile broadband data interfaces. NetworkManager also now performs connectivity checks when an interface has only an IPv4 link-scope default route.
DNS handling
DNS received several fixes:
- NetworkManager now ignores unspecified addresses received as DNS nameservers through RDNSS and DHCPv6, and skips invalid nameservers when configuring
systemd-resolved. - The port number specified for a DNS server in DNS URIs is now correctly forwarded to
systemd-resolved, fixing situations where non-default DNS ports could be lost during configuration.
DHCP
NetworkManager now logs a warning when it ignores DHCPv4 option 3 (router) because classless static routes from option 121 or 249 are present but leave the connection without a gateway—making a previously silent edge case visible.
Security: stricter 802.1X profiles
1.58.1 introduces stricter handling for private 802.1X connection profiles. For connections specifying a user through the connection.permissions property, the ca-path and phase2-ca-path settings are no longer accepted—closing a potential trust-configuration gap for per-user profiles.
Boot, Bluetooth, and stability
The initrd generator now sets the parent interface by name for NBFT VLAN connections, avoiding potential race conditions during boot. Bluetooth NAP connection normalization has also been fixed.
Finally, the release addresses multiple crashes, though the upstream notes don’t detail the individual cases.
How to update
Most users should take 1.58.1 through their distribution:
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nmcli --version # check current version
sudo dnf upgrade NetworkManager # Fedora/RHEL family
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade # Debian/Ubuntu familyIf you build from source, grab the tarball from the 1.58.1 release page. After upgrading, restart the service:
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager
nmcli general statusFAQ
Is 1.58.1 a major update? No. It’s a stable micro (maintenance) release in the 1.58 series—bug fixes, stability, and security fixes, not new features or behavior changes.
I’m already on 1.58.0—should I move to 1.58.1? Yes. It’s the safer build of the same series, carrying the accumulated fixes with no feature churn.
I’m on an older series (e.g., 1.56)—should I jump straight to 1.58.1? Take it when your distribution ships it, and skim the changelog first for anything relevant to your hardware, Wi-Fi, or VPN setup.
Will restarting NetworkManager drop my connection? It briefly re-evaluates connections, and managed ones normally come right back. On remote hosts, restart from a console or a tmux/screen session so a momentary blip can’t lock you out.
Does 1.58.1 include security-relevant fixes? Yes—most notably stricter 802.1X trust handling for per-user profiles (ca-path/phase2-ca-path are no longer accepted with connection.permissions), plus fixes for multiple crashes.
Where’s the authoritative change list? The upstream NEWS changelog —short enough to scan before you upgrade.
Bottom line
NetworkManager 1.58.1 is a fixes-only release, but a meaningful one: it repairs WPA3 auto-reconnect, mobile-broadband IPv4 forwarding, several DNS and DHCP edge cases, tightens 802.1X trust settings for per-user profiles, and squashes multiple crashes. If you rely on WPA3 Wi-Fi, mobile data, or systemd-resolved, it’s worth taking as soon as your distribution ships it.
