What to Do Before July 2025 Hits

• OpenJDK 11 and 8 will reach the end of community support soon. This means you will no longer receive free security patches unless you have vendor or third-party support in place.
• Many organizations still rely on Java 11 or 8 in production, and often manage Java independently of the OS – using manually installed or containerized runtimes that aren’t covered by OS support by default.
• Once community support ends, your options are to upgrade, risk running unsupported runtimes, or secure extended support; only some vendors offer long-term support, and not all cover every version or deployment model.
• TuxCare offers free Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS) for OpenJDK, providing ongoing security patches for any version – even standalone or custom deployments – so you can maintain security while planning upgrades for as long as you need.

If you’re still running Java 11 or 8 in production, you’re not alone – but time is running out. OpenJDK 11 and OpenJDK 8 will both reach end of life soon.  After this, the OpenJDK community will no longer provide free security updates.

That’s a major risk – especially considering that, as of early 2025, nearly half of all production workloads still rely on these two versions.

In this post, we’ll explain how long various OpenJDK versions are typically supported (both by the community and vendors), explain what “OpenJDK 11 and 8 end of life” really means, why Java runtimes often fall outside standard OS support, and how organizations are handling the transition. Most importantly, we’ll show how to protect your workloads with Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS) – including how TuxCare offers it for free.

Let’s dive in.

How Long Are OpenJDK Releases Supported?

The OpenJDK project follows a regular release cadence, but the length of support for each version – especially Long-Term Support (LTS) releases – has varied significantly.

LTS Releases

LTS versions are released approximately every two years. However, the community support duration is not fixed and varies by version.

Community support typically includes free security patches and bug fixes, but ends at each version’s declared EOL date. After that point, updates are only available through vendor-specific or third-party extended support programs.

Beyond the OpenJDK community, vendors and distributions offer their own builds and support timelines for OpenJDK versions. These timelines vary as well:

Non-LTS Releases

Non-LTS versions – such as OpenJDK 13, 14, 15, and others – are short-lived feature releases that receive just 6 months of community support before the next version supersedes them.

Java 11 and 8 Are Still Everywhere

Despite the introduction of newer Java versions, adoption tends to move slowly in enterprise environments.

As of early 2025, telemetry data and surveys suggest that nearly half of all production workloads are still running Java 11 or 8. That number may have shifted slightly, but not dramatically. If your organization is like most, there’s a good chance you’re still relying on at least one application running on these older LTS releases.

There are valid reasons for this. Java 11 and 8 are both stable, well-supported versions (until now), and familiar to development teams. They power web apps, back-end services, middleware platforms, and internal tools. Rewriting or upgrading isn’t always feasible – especially if the application is business-critical or complex.

What Happens after Community Support Ends?

When the OpenJDK community stops maintaining a version, free security patches and bug fixes end. That leaves organizations with three main options:

• Upgrade to a Newer Java Version
  This is the most future-proof option, as it restores access to community-provided updates, security patches, and ongoing improvements. However, it can be costly and time-consuming, particularly for organizations with large or legacy codebases. Upgrading often requires code rewrites, extensive compatibility testing, and regression analysis – making it a non-trivial effort for many teams.
• Continue Running the Unsupported Version
  This requires no immediate changes or costs, but leaves systems exposed to unpatched vulnerabilities. Over time, this creates growing security and compliance risks, particularly in environments with regulatory requirements.
• Secure Third-Party Extended Support
  Some vendors – such as Red Hat and Azul – offer their own OpenJDK builds with extended support timelines beyond the community end-of-life dates. Others, like Microsoft and Amazon, provide OpenJDK builds with slightly longer support windows, but they do not offer extended lifecycle support beyond those predefined timelines. Alternatively, independent providers like TuxCare deliver ongoing CVE patching for any OpenJDK version, regardless of origin. Both vendor and independent support paths can help keep systems secure while avoiding the immediate cost or disruption of an upgrade.

Each option comes with trade-offs, but the key consideration is ensuring you don’t fall into a gap where your Java runtimes continue to operate but quietly become a security liability.

Why Many Java Runtimes Operate Outside OS Support

While switching to a vendor-supported OpenJDK distribution is one way to extend Java security coverage, many organizations still run Java runtimes outside OS-managed support channels – often by choice.

In practice, Java is frequently installed and managed independently of the operating system’s package manager. Teams often download and install OpenJDK builds directly, bypassing yum, apt, or default OS repositories to gain more control over versioning and compatibility.

There are a few common patterns behind this:

• Custom installations for performance tuning, licensing, or compatibility reasons.
• Multiple JDK versions running side by side, especially in containerized environments or microservices architectures.
• Long-term dependency on Java-based platforms like Tomcat, Kafka, or Jenkins – where upgrading Java can be as disruptive as rewriting the app itself.

In some cases, even when the OS is under extended support (like RHEL 7 or CentOS 6), Java packages are excluded. If your Java runtime was installed manually, or exists inside a container image, it’s likely not covered by your OS vendor’s ELS program.

The Case for Endless Lifecycle Support

This is where Endless Lifecycle Support (ELS) from an independent provider, like TuxCare, becomes essential. ELS provides security patches for legacy software after the official community or vendor support ends. For Java, this means you can continue running OpenJDK 11 or 8 securely, without rushing through a costly migration.

Organizations are turning to ELS for OpenJDK for a few key reasons:

• It keeps critical applications protected against emerging CVEs.
• It supports compliance with internal security policies and external regulations.
• It buys time – letting teams modernize systems on their own schedule, without compromising security in the meantime.

In environments where stability is non-negotiable, ELS can mean the difference between a controlled transition and a risky scramble.

Don’t Wait for the Next CVE

If you’re still running OpenJDK 11 or 8 today, you need a plan.

A robust extended support solution can help you prolong the life of your Java workloads securely, giving your team the flexibility to upgrade when the time is right – not when the calendar forces your hand.

TuxCare offers free access to ELS for OpenJDK, providing ongoing security patches for whatever OpenJDK version you’re using and for as long as you need. There’s no cost to get started, and no need to risk running unpatched runtimes in production.

👉 Start your free OpenJDK ELS coverage with TuxCare now – and stay secure while you plan your next move.

Summary

Article Name

OpenJDK End of Life: What to Do Before July 2025 Hits

Description

OpenJDK 8 and 11 hit end of life in July 2025. Learn what this means, and how to stay protected with free extended support from TuxCare.

Author

Artem Karasev

Publisher Name

TuxCare

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