v2.9.0 release

What's Changed

• fix: CVE-2025-22872 by @andyzhangx in #493
• Release helm chart v2.8.0 by @Doritanh in #495
• chore(deps): bump actions/setup-python from 5.5.0 to 5.6.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #497
• feat: allow configuring the updateStrategy for the DaemonSet by @johngmyers in #498
• test: fix CVE-2025-4673 in trivy action by @andyzhangx in #500
• fix: Add permissions chart-release workflow by @sheyabernstein in #502
• Support for removing start up taint by @saidjawad in #501
• test: fix CVE-2025-47907 traivy test failure by @andyzhangx in #506
• chore(deps): bump azure/setup-helm from 4.3.0 to 4.3.1 by @dependabot[bot] in #508
• fix: CVE-2025-5187 by @andyzhangx in #511
• chore(deps): bump actions/checkout from 4 to 5 by @dependabot[bot] in #507
• chore(deps): bump actions/setup-python from 5.6.0 to 6.0.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #510
• chore(deps): bump actions/setup-go from 5 to 6 by @dependabot[bot] in #509
• fix: use go install with latest tag on kubetest2 installer utility by @asungur in #515
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action from 3 to 4 by @dependabot[bot] in #516
• fix: Update example to use the correct tag on startup-script by @asungur in #513
• chore(deps): bump helm/kind-action from 1.12.0 to 1.13.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #518
• test: fix CVE-2025-47912 github action failure by @andyzhangx in #519
• chore(deps): bump helm/chart-testing-action from 2.7.0 to 2.8.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #520
• fix: CVE-2025-31133 by @andyzhangx in #521
• fix: CVE-2025-58181 by @andyzhangx in #524
• fix: e2e tests with GKE by @asungur in #526
• chore(deps): bump actions/setup-python from 6.0.0 to 6.1.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #527
• Update comments to drop very old version by @kylepl in #528
• test: fix trivy CVE-2025-61727 by @andyzhangx in #529
• chore(deps): bump actions/checkout from 5 to 6 by @dependabot[bot] in #523
• fix: CVE-2025-47914 by @andyzhangx in #530
• Helm: support accessMode and update image tag by @dud225 in #531
• fix: CVE-2025-13281 by @andyzhangx in #532
• test: fix CVE-2025-61726 trivy failure by @andyzhangx in #538
• chore(deps): bump actions/setup-python from 6.1.0 to 6.2.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #537
• test: fix trivy CVE-2025-68121 failure by @andyzhangx in #539
• chore(deps): bump helm/kind-action from 1.13.0 to 1.14.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #540
• fix: CVE-2026-24051 by @andyzhangx in #541
• cleanup: use go 1.25 by @andyzhangx in #542
• test: fix CVE-2026-25679 in trivy action by @andyzhangx in #544
• fix: CVE-2026-33186 by @andyzhangx in #545
• docs: refine README for improved formatting and readability by @andyzhangx in #546
• security: Update trivy-action to use sha for v0.35.0 by @Priyankasaggu11929 in #547
• chore(deps): bump azure/setup-helm from 4.3.1 to 5.0.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #548
• fix: pin github action to exact SHA by @jsafrane in #549
• chore(deps): bump helm/chart-releaser-action from a0d2dc62c5e491af8ef6ba64a2e02bcf3fb33aa1 to cae68fefc6b5f367a0275617c9f83181ba54714f by @dependabot[bot] in #550
• fix: CVE-2026-39883 by @andyzhangx in #551
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action from 4.35.1 to 4.35.2 by @dependabot[bot] in #552
• chore(deps): bump aquasecurity/trivy-action from 0.35.0 to 0.36.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #554
• Honor stderrthreshold when logtostderr is enabled by @pierluigilenoci in #553
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action from 4.35.2 to 4.35.3 by @dependabot[bot] in #557
• chore: bump Go version to 1.25.10 in trivy workflow by @andyzhangx in #559
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action from 4.35.3 to 4.35.4 by @dependabot[bot] in #558
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action from 4.35.4 to 4.35.5 by @dependabot[bot] in #560
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action from 4.35.5 to 4.36.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #562
• feat: Use helm chart manifests in the e2e tests by @asungur in #561
• chore: bump Go version to 1.25.11 in trivy workflow by @andyzhangx in #567
• chore(deps): bump actions/checkout from 6.0.2 to 6.0.3 by @dependabot[bot] in #563
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action from 4.36.0 to 4.36.2 by @dependabot[bot] in #565
• docs(helm): add discovery directory documentation to Helm chart README by @andyzhangx in #570
• feat(helm): add support for configurable health probes on the provisioner container by @andyzhangx in #568
• feat(helm): allow configuring the full container securityContext via Helm values by @andyzhangx in #569
• chore(deps): bump actions/checkout from 6.0.3 to 7.0.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #572
• fix: CVE-2026-25680 by @andyzhangx in #573
• chore(deps): bump azure/setup-helm from 5.0.0 to 5.0.1 by @dependabot[bot] in #574
• chore(deps): bump actions/setup-go from 6.4.0 to 6.5.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #575
• chore(deps): bump actions/setup-python from 6.2.0 to 6.3.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #576
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action init+analyze from 4.36.2 to 4.36.3 by @andyzhangx in #579
• chore: bump Go version to 1.25.12 in trivy workflow by @andyzhangx in #580
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action init+analyze from 4.36.3 to 4.37.0 by @andyzhangx in #583
• fix: CVE-2026-56852 by @andyzhangx in #584
• bump actions/setup-go from 6.5.0 to 7.0.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #586
• chore: bump github/codeql-action to 4.37.1 by @andyzhangx in #588
• chore(deps): bump actions/checkout from 7.0.0 to 7.0.1 by @dependabot[bot] in #589
• chore(deps): bump actions/setup-python from 6.3.0 to 7.0.0 by @dependabot[bot] in #590
• chore(deps): bump github/codeql-action init+analyze from 4.37.1 to 4.37.2 by @andyzhangx in #593
• bump github/codeql-action init+analyze from 4.37.2 to 4.37.3 by @andyzhangx in #596
• add CHANGELOG-2.9.md by @andyzhangx in #597
• Cherry pick #599 into release-2.9: fix release branch regex in hack/release.sh by @andyzhangx in #600

New Contributors

• @Doritanh made their first contribution in #495
• @johngmyers made their first contribution in #498
• @sheyabernstein made their first contribution in #502
• @saidjawad made their first contribution in #501
• @asungur made their first contribution in #515
• @kylepl made their first contribution in #528
• @dud225 made their first contribution in #531
• @Priyankasaggu11929 made their first contribution in #547
• @pierluigilenoci made their first contribution in #553

Full Changelog: v2.8.0...v2.9.0