PHP end of life: which versions php.net supports as of October 21, 2026
Short answer: the PHPPHP is a programming language that builds your web pages on the computer that hosts your site, just before they reach the visitor. WordPress runs on it. project supports PHP 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5. PHP 8.1 and older no longer receive updates from the PHP project. End of lifeEnd of life (EOL) means the makers have stopped looking after a version of software. It still works, but it no longer gets updates, not even security fixes. means the PHP project no longer ships security fixes for that version. Every statement below comes from php.net and was checked on October 21, 2026.
What php.net lists
According to php.net, PHP 8.2 and 8.3 receive security fixes onlySecurity support is a phase in which a PHP version only gets fixes for security problems. Ordinary bugs are no longer repaired., until December 31, 2026 and December 31, 2027. PHP 8.4 and 8.5 are in active supportActive support is the phase in which a PHP version is fully looked after: both ordinary bugs and security problems get fixed, with regular updates., until December 31, 2026 and December 31, 2027. Check the supported versions page on php.net for the exact line per version, because dates can be updated.
The latest fixed releases
On October 21, 2026 the PHP project released PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35. According to php.net these releases fix two critical vulnerabilities. If your site runs PHP 8.2 to 8.5, these versions or newer contain the fix for these two vulnerabilities. See the PHP2Shell status page for the full picture.
Older versions
According to the php.net advisory of October 21, 2026, PHP 8.1 and older no longer receive updates from the PHP project. With the advisory of October 21, 2026, the security team exceptionally published source patches for 7.4, 8.0 and 8.1; those are not releases. Some distributions and long-term support vendors provide their own backported fixes, so ask your hosting providerWeb hosting is the service that keeps your website's files on a computer that is always online, so visitors can open your site at any time. what they ship. We list no end dates for PHP 8.1, 8.0 or 7.x here because we have not verified them.
What we do not know
We do not know when your hosting provider or Linux distributionA Linux distribution, such as Debian or Ubuntu, is a ready-made package of the operating system many servers run. It often decides which PHP version you get. ships updated packages. We do not state how many sites are affected. This page is updated when php.net changes its information.
What to do
First find out which PHP versionA PHP version is a numbered edition of PHP, like 8.3. Each edition is looked after for a limited time, then gets security fixes only, then nothing. your site runs. The free exposure check reads it with one ordinary request, like a browser, from the public headers and the top of your homepage. If the version is old, you can patchA security patch is a software update that closes one known security weakness and adds nothing else, so installing it protects you against that problem. it, update it, migrate it or rebuild the site without PHP.