Windows 8 · Version Status
Windows 8 End of Life Date
Windows 8 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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Windows 8 is past end of life. This version no longer receives security patches. 3952 days past EOL — migrate to a supported version immediately.
EOL Date
Jan 12, 2016
3952 days past EOL
Latest Release
6.2.9200
Standard release
Release Date
Oct 30, 2012
Windows 8 series
Where these dates come from
End of lifeJan 12, 2016endoflife.date (open dataset) · endoflife.datemedium · 1 source agrees End of active supportJan 12, 2016endoflife.date (open dataset) · endoflife.datemedium · 1 source agrees ReleaseOct 30, 2012endoflife.date (open dataset) · endoflife.datemedium · 1 source agrees Confidence: high = two or more independent sources agree (the vendor's page read by our adapter, a person's check against the vendor, the dataset the date came from); medium = one; low = the vendor page disagrees or our last read is stale.
How we source dates.
Lifecycle detail
Windows 8 was released on October 30, 2012 and support ended on January 12, 2016 — a supported lifespan of 3 years and 2 months, longer than the 2 years and 7 months median for Windows releases. It was not an LTS release; Windows reserves longer patch windows for its LTS releases. It has been past its end-of-life date for 10 years and 10 months. 40 newer Windows releases have shipped since.
Attack Surface
30/30 Critical tier
CISA KEV Exposure
20/20 Named in CISA 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 Windows 8 support options
Some vendors and third parties sell security patches beyond end of life; whether one covers this version varies. Compare your options.
Compare Options →
| Version | Latest | EOL Date | Status |
|---|
| XP SP3 |
5.1.2600 |
Apr 8, 2014 |
EOL |
| Vista SP2 |
6.0.6002 |
Apr 11, 2017 |
EOL |
| 7 SP1 |
6.1.7601 |
Jan 14, 2020 |
EOL |
| → 8 |
6.2.9200 |
Jan 12, 2016 |
EOL |
| 8.1 |
6.3.9600 |
Jan 10, 2023 |
EOL |
| 10 1507 IOT |
10.0.10240 |
Nov 10, 2020 |
EOL |
| 10 1507 |
10.0.10240 |
May 9, 2017 |
EOL |
| 10 1507 (E) LTS |
10.0.10240 |
Oct 14, 2025 |
EOL |
What does Windows 8 end of life mean?
When Windows 8 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 Windows 8 past its EOL date creates a growing attack surface that a clean scan result does not rule out.
Migrate to Windows 11 26H2 (E) or implement compensating controls — network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, restricted access — while migration is underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Windows 8 reach end of life?
Windows 8 reached end of life on January 12, 2016. This version is no longer receiving security patches.
Is Windows 8 still supported?
No. Windows 8 reached end of life on January 12, 2016 and is no longer receiving security patches.
What should I upgrade to from Windows 8?
The recommended upgrade from Windows 8 is
Windows 11 26H2 (E) — the latest actively supported version. Check the
Windows full timeline for all supported versions.
What are the security risks of running Windows 8 past EOL?
Since Windows 8 reached end of life, the maintainers no longer issue 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 Windows should migrate immediately or implement compensating controls.