Question 1

What is the EOL Risk Score for Cisco Catalyst switches (hardware) Catalyst 3850?

Accepted Answer

Cisco Catalyst switches (hardware) Catalyst 3850 has an EOL Risk Score™ of 40 out of 100, placing it in the Medium risk band. The score is calculated from four factors: EOL Recency (30/40), Attack Surface (10/30), CISA KEV Exposure (0/20), and Extended Support Availability (0/10).

Question 2

Is Cisco Catalyst switches (hardware) Catalyst 3850 still supported?

Accepted Answer

Cisco Catalyst switches (hardware) Catalyst 3850 is no longer supported — it has passed its end of life date (October 31, 2025). No further security patches will be issued. Upgrade to a supported version or obtain extended lifecycle support.

Question 3

When does Cisco Catalyst switches (hardware) Catalyst 3850 reach end of life?

Accepted Answer

Cisco Catalyst switches (hardware) Catalyst 3850 reached (or will reach) end of life on October 31, 2025. After this date, no security patches or bug fixes are issued by the vendor.

Question 4

What are the security risks of running Cisco Catalyst switches (hardware) Catalyst 3850 after end of life?

Accepted Answer

After end of life, Cisco Catalyst switches (hardware) Catalyst 3850 no longer receives security patches. Any newly discovered CVEs remain unpatched indefinitely. Organizations running EOL software also face compliance violations under SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and ISO 27001, which require use of supported software versions.