Oracle JDK 21 · Version Status
Oracle JDK 21 End of Life Date
Oracle JDK 21 end-of-life date, support status, and CVE risk. Data reconciled from official vendor documentation and endoflife.date at every build; the source of each date is on the product page.
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Oracle JDK 21 is actively supported. EOL date: September 30, 2028.
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EOL Date
Sep 30, 2028
738 days remaining
Latest Release
21.0.12.1
LTS release
Release Date
Sep 19, 2023
Oracle JDK 21 series
Extended Support
Sep 30, 2031
Oracle Java SE Subscription · paid
Lifecycle detail
Oracle JDK 21 was released on September 19, 2023 and support is scheduled to end on September 30, 2028 — a planned supported lifespan of 5 years, in line with the 5 years and 1 month median for Oracle JDK LTS releases. It is a long-term support (LTS) release, so it carries a longer patch window than the interim releases around it. Its most recent patch is 21.0.12.1, published August 18, 2026.
Attack Surface
10/30 Medium tier
CISA KEV Exposure
20/20 Named in CISA 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 →
| Version | Latest | EOL Date | Status |
|---|
| 1.0 |
1.0.2 |
May 7, 1996 |
EOL |
| 1.1 |
1.1.8_010 |
Oct 9, 2002 |
EOL |
| 1.2 |
1.2.2_18 |
Nov 30, 2003 |
EOL |
| 1.3 |
1.3.1_32 |
Mar 31, 2006 |
EOL |
| 1.4 |
1.4.2_42 |
Oct 30, 2008 |
EOL |
| 5 |
5.0u85 |
Oct 30, 2009 |
EOL |
| 6 |
6u211 |
Dec 31, 2018 |
EOL |
| 7 LTS |
7u351 |
Jul 31, 2019 |
EOL |
What does Oracle JDK 21 end of life mean?
When Oracle JDK 21 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: A CVE-based scan does not show the ongoing accumulation of unpatched vulnerabilities in EOL software versions. Some scanners flag unsupported versions of common products, but coverage varies, and none of them give you the date in advance. Running Oracle JDK 21 past its EOL date creates a growing attack surface that a clean scan result does not rule out.
Migrate to Oracle JDK 27 or implement compensating controls — network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, restricted access — while migration is underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Oracle JDK 21 reach end of life?
Oracle JDK 21 reached end of life on September 30, 2028. That is 738 days remaining.
Is Oracle JDK 21 still supported?
Yes, Oracle JDK 21 is currently supported. The EOL date is September 30, 2028.
What should I upgrade to from Oracle JDK 21?
The recommended upgrade from Oracle JDK 21 is
Oracle JDK 27 — the latest actively supported version. Check the
Oracle JDK full timeline for all supported versions.
What are the security risks of running Oracle JDK 21 past EOL?
When Oracle JDK 21 reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches. Any CVEs disclosed after the EOL date accumulate with no vendor fix. A CVE-based scan does not show this — it is the CVE blind spot; some scanners flag unsupported versions of common products, but coverage varies and none give the date in advance. Organizations running EOL Oracle JDK should migrate immediately or implement compensating controls.