IBM z/OS 2.5 · Version Status
IBM z/OS 2.5 End of Life Date
IBM z/OS 2.5 end-of-life date, support status, and CVE risk. Data from endoflife.date and official vendor documentation.
⚡
IBM z/OS 2.5 reaches end of life on September 30, 2026. Plan your migration now — 65 days remaining.
📅 Get reminded before IBM z/OS 2.5 reaches EOL on September 30, 2026 — alerts 90, 30 & 7 days out.
EOL Date
Sep 30, 2026
65 days remaining
Latest Release
2.5.0
Standard release
Release Date
Sep 30, 2021
IBM z/OS 2.5 series
Attack Surface
10/30 Medium tier
CISA KEV Exposure
0/20 Not in 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 IBM z/OS 2.5 support is available
Commercial vendors offer security patches beyond EOL. Compare your options.
Compare Options →
| Version | Latest | EOL Date | Status |
|---|
| 2.1 |
2.1.0 |
Sep 30, 2018 |
EOL |
| 2.2 |
2.2.0 |
Sep 30, 2020 |
EOL |
| 2.3 |
2.3.0 |
Sep 30, 2022 |
EOL |
| 2.4 |
2.4.0 |
Sep 30, 2024 |
EOL |
| → 2.5 |
2.5.0 |
Sep 30, 2026 |
Warning |
| 3.1 |
3.1.0 |
EOL |
Active |
| 3.2 |
3.2.0 |
EOL |
Active |
What does IBM z/OS 2.5 end of life mean?
When IBM z/OS 2.5 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: Most vulnerability scanners check for known CVEs but do not flag the ongoing accumulation of unpatched vulnerabilities in EOL software versions. Running IBM z/OS 2.5 past its EOL date creates a permanently growing attack surface that standard security tooling will not surface.
Migrate to IBM z/OS 3.2 or implement compensating controls — network segmentation, enhanced monitoring, restricted access — while migration is underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does IBM z/OS 2.5 reach end of life?
IBM z/OS 2.5 reached end of life on September 30, 2026. That is 65 days remaining.
Is IBM z/OS 2.5 still supported?
IBM z/OS 2.5 is still supported but approaching end of life on September 30, 2026. Begin planning your migration now.
What should I upgrade to from IBM z/OS 2.5?
The recommended upgrade from IBM z/OS 2.5 is
IBM z/OS 3.2 — the latest actively supported version. Check the
IBM z/OS full timeline for all supported versions.
What are the security risks of running IBM z/OS 2.5 past EOL?
When IBM z/OS 2.5 reaches end of life, the maintainers stop issuing security patches. Any CVEs disclosed after the EOL date accumulate with no remediation path. Most vulnerability scanners do not flag this — it is the CVE blind spot. Organizations running EOL IBM z/OS should migrate immediately or implement compensating controls.