Rancher 2.1 · Version Status
Rancher 2.1 End of Life Date
Rancher 2.1 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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Rancher 2.1 is past end of life. This version no longer receives security patches. 2363 days past EOL — migrate to a supported version immediately.
EOL Date
Apr 19, 2020
2363 days past EOL
Latest Release
2.1.14
Standard release
Release Date
Oct 5, 2018
Rancher 2.1 series
Lifecycle detail
Rancher 2.1 was released on October 5, 2018 and support ended on April 19, 2020 — a supported lifespan of 1 year and 7 months, in line with the 1 year and 6 months median for Rancher releases. The last patch it will ever receive is 2.1.14, published January 3, 2020 — 4 months before support ended. It has been without security patches for 6 years and 6 months. 11 newer Rancher releases have 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 Rancher 2.1 support is available
Commercial vendors offer security patches beyond EOL. Compare your options.
Compare Options →
| Version | Latest | EOL Date | Status |
|---|
| 1.6 |
1.6.30 |
Jun 30, 2020 |
EOL |
| 2.0 |
2.0.16 |
Nov 1, 2019 |
EOL |
| → 2.1 |
2.1.14 |
Apr 19, 2020 |
EOL |
| 2.2 |
2.2.13 |
Oct 15, 2020 |
EOL |
| 2.3 |
2.3.11 |
Apr 7, 2021 |
EOL |
| 2.4 |
2.4.18 |
Mar 31, 2022 |
EOL |
| 2.5 |
2.5.17 |
Jan 31, 2023 |
EOL |
| 2.6 |
2.6.14 |
Apr 30, 2024 |
EOL |
What does Rancher 2.1 end of life mean?
When Rancher 2.1 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 Rancher 2.1 past its EOL date creates a growing attack surface that a clean scan result does not rule out.
Migrate to Rancher 2.15 or implement compensating controls — network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, restricted access — while migration is underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Rancher 2.1 reach end of life?
Rancher 2.1 reached end of life on April 19, 2020. This version is no longer receiving security patches.
Is Rancher 2.1 still supported?
No. Rancher 2.1 reached end of life on April 19, 2020 and is no longer receiving security patches.
What should I upgrade to from Rancher 2.1?
The recommended upgrade from Rancher 2.1 is
Rancher 2.15 — the latest actively supported version. Check the
Rancher full timeline for all supported versions.
What are the security risks of running Rancher 2.1 past EOL?
When Rancher 2.1 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 Rancher should migrate immediately or implement compensating controls.