Chef Workstation 2021 · Version Status
Chef Workstation 2021 End of Life Date
Chef Workstation 2021 end-of-life date, support status, and CVE risk. Data from endoflife.date and official vendor documentation.
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Chef Workstation 2021 is past end of life. This version no longer receives security patches. 586 days past EOL — migrate to a supported version immediately.
EOL Date
Dec 31, 2024
586 days past EOL
Latest Release
21.12.720
Standard release
Release Date
Jan 5, 2021
Chef Workstation 2021 series
Lifecycle detail
Chef Workstation 21 was released on January 5, 2021 and support ended on December 31, 2024 — a supported lifespan of 4 years, longer than the 3 years median for Chef Workstation releases. The last patch it will ever receive is 21.12.720, published December 17, 2021 — 3 years and 1 month before support ended. It has been without security patches for 1 year and 7 months. 1 newer Chef Workstation release has shipped since.
Attack Surface
10/30 Medium tier
CISA KEV Exposure
0/20 Not in KEV
Extended Support
0/10 Available
EOL Risk Score™ — proprietary methodology by endoflife.ai. Factors: EOL recency, attack surface breadth, CISA KEV catalog presence, extended support availability. Updated at every build.
Methodology → ·
View score card →
Extended Support
Extended Chef Workstation 2021 support is available
Commercial vendors offer security patches beyond EOL. Compare your options.
Compare Options →
All Chef Workstation Versions
| Version | Latest | EOL Date | Status |
|---|
| 2020 |
20.12.205 |
Dec 31, 2024 |
EOL |
| → 2021 |
21.12.720 |
Dec 31, 2024 |
EOL |
| 2021 |
22.12.1024 |
Dec 31, 2024 |
EOL |
| 2023 |
23.12.1055 |
Dec 31, 2024 |
EOL |
| 2024 |
24.12.1073 |
Apr 30, 2026 |
EOL |
| 2025 |
25.14.2 |
EOL |
Active |
What does Chef Workstation 2021 end of life mean?
When Chef Workstation 2021 reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches for this version. CVEs discovered after the EOL date are publicly disclosed on the National Vulnerability Database with no patch available. Exploit code frequently appears on GitHub within days of disclosure.
The CVE blind spot: Most vulnerability scanners check for known CVEs but do not flag the ongoing accumulation of unpatched vulnerabilities in EOL software versions. Running Chef Workstation 2021 past its EOL date creates a permanently growing attack surface that standard security tooling will not surface.
Migrate to Chef Workstation 2025 or implement compensating controls — network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, restricted access — while migration is underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Chef Workstation 2021 reach end of life?
Chef Workstation 2021 reached end of life on December 31, 2024. This version is no longer receiving security patches.
Is Chef Workstation 2021 still supported?
No. Chef Workstation 2021 reached end of life on December 31, 2024 and is no longer receiving security patches.
What should I upgrade to from Chef Workstation 2021?
The recommended upgrade from Chef Workstation 2021 is
Chef Workstation 2025 — the latest actively supported version. Check the
Chef Workstation full timeline for all supported versions.
What are the security risks of running Chef Workstation 2021 past EOL?
When Chef Workstation 2021 reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches. Any CVEs disclosed after the EOL date accumulate with no remediation path. Most vulnerability scanners do not flag this — it is the CVE blind spot. Organizations running EOL Chef Workstation should migrate immediately or implement compensating controls.