Php 5.6 · Version Status
Php 5.6 End of Life Date
Php 5.6 end-of-life date, support status, and CVE risk. Data from endoflife.date and official vendor documentation.
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Php 5.6 is past end of life. This version no longer receives security patches. 2686 days past EOL — migrate to a supported version immediately.
EOL Date
Dec 31, 2018
2686 days past EOL
Latest Release
5.6.40
Standard release
Release Date
Aug 28, 2014
Php 5.6 series
TuxCare
Extended Php 5.6 Support
Extended PHP support beyond official EOL — keep production apps secure.
Learn More →
| Version | Latest | EOL Date | Status |
|---|
| 5.0 |
5.0.5 |
Sep 5, 2005 |
EOL |
| 5.1 |
5.1.6 |
Aug 24, 2006 |
EOL |
| 5.2 |
5.2.17 |
Jan 6, 2011 |
EOL |
| 5.3 |
5.3.29 |
Aug 14, 2014 |
EOL |
| 5.4 |
5.4.45 |
Sep 14, 2015 |
EOL |
| 5.5 |
5.5.38 |
Jul 21, 2016 |
EOL |
| → 5.6 |
5.6.40 |
Dec 31, 2018 |
EOL |
| 7.0 |
7.0.33 |
Jan 10, 2019 |
EOL |
What does Php 5.6 end of life mean?
When Php 5.6 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 Php 5.6 past its EOL date creates a permanently growing attack surface that standard security tooling will not surface.
Migrate to Php 8.5 or implement compensating controls — network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, restricted access — while migration is underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Php 5.6 reach end of life?
Php 5.6 reached end of life on December 31, 2018. This version is no longer receiving security patches.
Is Php 5.6 still supported?
No. Php 5.6 reached end of life on December 31, 2018 and is no longer receiving security patches.
What should I upgrade to from Php 5.6?
The recommended upgrade from Php 5.6 is
Php 8.5 — the latest actively supported version. Check the
Php full timeline for all supported versions.
What are the security risks of running Php 5.6 past EOL?
When Php 5.6 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 Php should migrate immediately or implement compensating controls.