GitHub Actions Runner Images End of Life (EOL) Dates & Support Timeline
Complete end-of-life dates, support windows, and security status for all GitHub Actions Runner Images versions. Data sourced from endoflife.date and official vendor documentation. Updated at every deploy.
GitHub Actions Runner Images Ubuntu 26.04 is supported, with no end-of-life or end-of-support date announced yet. The next GitHub Actions Runner Images version to reach end of life is macOS 14 Arm64, on November 2, 2026. 3 of 20 tracked GitHub Actions Runner Images versions are past end of life; the most recent to reach it, macOS 13, did so on December 4, 2025. The full GitHub Actions Runner Images lifecycle, with every version's release and end-of-support date, is in the table below.
Running an EOL version? Get matched with support options — free ↓| Version | Latest Release | Release Date | EOL Date | Days | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 | — | Jun 2, 2020 | Apr 15, 2025 | 522 days past EOL | EOL |
| Windows Server 2022 | — | Nov 16, 2021 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| macOS 12 | — | Jun 13, 2022 | Dec 3, 2024 | 655 days past EOL | EOL |
| Ubuntu 22.04 | — | Aug 9, 2022 | Apr 17, 2027 | 210 days remaining | Active |
| macOS 13 | — | Apr 24, 2023 | Dec 4, 2025 | 289 days past EOL | EOL |
| macOS 14 | — | Apr 1, 2024 | Nov 2, 2026 | 44 days remaining | Warning |
| macOS 14 Arm64 | — | Apr 1, 2024 | Nov 2, 2026 | 44 days remaining | Warning |
| Ubuntu 24.04 | — | May 14, 2024 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| Ubuntu 24.04 Arm64 | — | Jun 24, 2024 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| Ubuntu 22.04 Arm64 | — | Sep 3, 2024 | Apr 17, 2027 | 210 days remaining | Active |
| macOS 15 | — | Apr 10, 2025 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| macOS 15 Arm64 | — | Apr 10, 2025 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| Windows Server 2025 | — | Apr 10, 2025 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| macOS 26 Arm64 | — | Feb 26, 2026 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| macOS 26 | — | Feb 26, 2026 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| Windows Server 2025 | — | May 7, 2026 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| Windows 11 Arm64 | — | Aug 20, 2026 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| Windows 11 Arm64 with Visual Studio 2026 | — | Aug 20, 2026 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| Ubuntu 26.04 | — | Sep 17, 2026 | TBD | Supported | Active |
| Ubuntu 26.04 Arm64 | — | Sep 17, 2026 | TBD | Supported | Active |
Live EOL badge for your README — updates automatically at every build.
[](https://endoflife.ai/github-actions-runner-images)
GitHub Actions Runner Images lifecycle status — the real story
GitHub publishes an explicit deprecation process for hosted runner images: once the newest OS image label reaches general availability, deprecation of the oldest label begins — an announcement sets the date, scheduled brownouts follow as it approaches, a pinned announcement reminds users, and then the image is removed. Tools and versions inside an image are typically removed six months after they are deprecated or reach end of life, and default-version changes are announced two weeks ahead.
The end-of-life dates above are the removal dates of image labels; an image is usable up to that day and gone after it.
Verified against the vendor's lifecycle documentation on August 22, 2026.
GitHub Actions Runner Images release and support pattern
Of the 20 release lines tracked, 3 are past end of life and 17 are still within support. The newest line, ubuntu-26.04-arm64, was released September 17, 2026. The next scheduled end of life is macos-14-arm64 on November 2, 2026 — 43 days from this build. The longest-supported line currently published is ubuntu-22.04, to April 17, 2027.
Computed from the tracked release data at every build — the figures above are the dates in the table, restated, not an editorial estimate.
What does GitHub Actions Runner Images end of life mean for your organization?
When a version of GitHub Actions Runner Images reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches. Vulnerabilities discovered after this date are publicly disclosed on the National Vulnerability Database, exploit code appears on GitHub, and your systems remain permanently exposed.
The CVE blind spot: Most vulnerability scanners check for known CVEs but do not flag the accumulation of unpatched vulnerabilities in EOL software. With a zero-day, nobody knows about the vulnerability. With EOL software, the vulnerability is public — listed, rated, and often weaponized — but no patch will ever exist. This is the most dangerous gap in enterprise security posture.
Organizations running EOL GitHub Actions Runner Images should treat it as a vulnerability class in their risk register, apply compensating controls (network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, access restriction), and prioritize migration to a supported version.
Your options when GitHub Actions Runner Images reaches end of life
There are four realistic paths. Which one is right depends far more on how long the system needs to keep running than on the version you are on today.
| Option | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Move to a supported version | The system will outlive the current version's support window and you can schedule the work | Budget for compatibility testing, not just the upgrade itself — that is where the real cost sits |
| Replace the component | The project is unmaintained, or a better-supported alternative exists | The replacement has its own lifecycle and its own end-of-life date — you are changing vendors, not escaping the problem |
| Buy extended support | Migration is genuinely underway but cannot finish before the deadline, or the workload is frozen by certification or a third-party application | A bridge, not a destination — every year purchased is a year the migration still has to happen |
| Document accepted risk | The system is isolated, short-lived, or scheduled for retirement | Only defensible with real compensating controls and a written decision — auditors treat undocumented end-of-life software as a finding |
How to choose, in one question: how many more years does this system need to run? Under a year, extended support (where it exists) is usually cheaper than an emergency migration. One to three years, migrate — support purchased repeatedly costs more than doing the project once, and the project only gets harder as the version ages. Indefinitely, migrate now and plan the next migration before it surprises you.
Worth saying plainly, because vendors selling extended support rarely will: extended support is often the more expensive choice over a multi-year horizon. It is the right answer when a deadline is genuinely unreachable, not as a default. Compare the annual fee against the one-time cost of migrating before committing to either.
Formalizing decisions like this across your estate? Our free EOL policy template is a ready-to-adopt policy with risk tiers, remediation SLAs, and audit mapping — no signup, free to use and share.
Extended Support Options
If you cannot migrate immediately, extended support vendors provide continued security patches for EOL GitHub Actions Runner Images versions. This is a bridge, not a permanent solution — plan your migration in parallel.
GitHub Actions Runner Images has 3 versions past end of life — security patches have stopped, but CVE disclosures haven't. Extended support past the official date exists for many products in this position — whether it exists for GitHub Actions Runner Images is exactly what we check. Tell us where to reach you and we'll reply with matched options and pricing guidance — or an honest "no vendor covers this."