GNOME 49.3 Released With Security Fixes and Broad Bugfix Updates

Six weeks after v49.2 of the desktop environment launched, GNOME 49.3 arrives as the third maintenance release for the stable GNOME 49 series—what developers call an uneventful bugfix update.

This means no new capabilities are introduced, with modifications limited to component updates included in the release.

A critical component of this update is GLib 2.86.3, which patches multiple security vulnerabilities of varying impact levels. The fixes address several integer overflow and buffer management flaws affecting URI escaping, GVariant parsing, and file attribute handling.

Additionally, libadwaita 1.8.3 provides numerous crash resolutions, accessibility enhancements, and minor usability improvements across various widgets and dialog boxes.

Several end-user applications receive targeted corrections. GNOME Calendar now properly handles timezones for newly created events and exhibits improved recurring event behavior. GNOME Maps eliminates a freeze condition that could occur when relocating the application window between monitors during active route display. GNOME Console includes a stability fix that enhances dependability during routine terminal operations.

GNOME Control Center 49.3 delivers multiple practical improvements spanning various configuration panels. Network management now correctly disables Wi-Fi on single-adapter systems, timezone selection interfaces operate more reliably, keyboard configuration dialogs offer improved user experience, and regional preferences apply locale variables more consistently.

Additional desktop utilities and applications—including GNOME Online Accounts, GNOME Remote Desktop, Loupe image viewer, Snapshot camera application, and Rygel media server—receive incremental defect corrections and localization updates. Accessibility enhancements continue through Orca updates, refining screen reader functionality and reducing excessive verbosity when navigating web content.

Core GNOME 49 components, including GNOME Shell, Mutter, GTK, Nautilus, and Epiphany, remain unmodified in this release.

Complete information is available through the official announcement or the comprehensive changelog.

Users currently running GNOME 49 can acquire GNOME 49.3 via their distribution’s standard update channels.