Question 1

What is the EOL Risk Score for Protocol Buffers 2.x?

Accepted Answer

Protocol Buffers 2.x has an EOL Risk Score™ of 45 out of 100, placing it in the Medium risk band. The score is calculated from four factors: EOL Recency (35/40), Attack Surface (10/30), CISA KEV Exposure (0/20), and Extended Support Availability (0/10).

Question 2

Is Protocol Buffers 2.x still supported?

Accepted Answer

Protocol Buffers 2.x is no longer supported — it has passed its end of life date (unknown). No further security patches will be issued. Upgrade to a supported version or obtain extended lifecycle support.

Question 3

When does Protocol Buffers 2.x reach end of life?

Accepted Answer

The end of life date for Protocol Buffers 2.x is not yet scheduled. Check the full Protocol Buffers version timeline at endoflife.ai/protobuf.html for the latest information.

Question 4

What are the security risks of running Protocol Buffers 2.x after end of life?

Accepted Answer

After end of life, Protocol Buffers 2.x 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.