Question 1

What is the EOL Risk Score for Cisco ISR and Catalyst 8000 edge routers (hardware) Catalyst C8500L-8S4X?

Accepted Answer

Cisco ISR and Catalyst 8000 edge routers (hardware) Catalyst C8500L-8S4X has an EOL Risk Score™ of 10 out of 100, placing it in the Low risk band. The score is calculated from four factors: EOL Recency (0/40), Attack Surface (10/30), CISA KEV Exposure (0/20), and Extended Support Availability (0/10).

Question 2

Is Cisco ISR and Catalyst 8000 edge routers (hardware) Catalyst C8500L-8S4X still supported?

Accepted Answer

Cisco ISR and Catalyst 8000 edge routers (hardware) Catalyst C8500L-8S4X is currently supported. End of life is scheduled for January 31, 2032. Plan your migration before that date to avoid security risk.

Question 3

When does Cisco ISR and Catalyst 8000 edge routers (hardware) Catalyst C8500L-8S4X reach end of life?

Accepted Answer

Cisco ISR and Catalyst 8000 edge routers (hardware) Catalyst C8500L-8S4X reached (or will reach) end of life on January 31, 2032. After this date, no security patches or bug fixes are issued by the vendor.

Question 4

What are the security risks of running Cisco ISR and Catalyst 8000 edge routers (hardware) Catalyst C8500L-8S4X after end of life?

Accepted Answer

After end of life, Cisco ISR and Catalyst 8000 edge routers (hardware) Catalyst C8500L-8S4X 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.