PostgreSQL 9.6 End of Life
Support dates, vulnerabilities published since end of life, and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
PostgreSQL 9.6 reached end of life on 11 Nov 2021. It no longer receives security fixes.
Support timeline
Official dates from the PostgreSQL release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 29 Sept 2016 | — |
| End of life | 11 Nov 2021 | 4.7 years ago |
| Latest release | 9.6.24 · 8 Nov 2021 | final |
The cost of staying: CVEs since end of life
40 PostgreSQL vulnerabilities have been published since 11 Nov 2021. All were fixed in supported branches — 9.6 received none of them. Source: NVD.
PostgreSQL CVEs published since 9.6's EOL, by year
0 of the 40 are rated critical · data refreshed 2026-08-09
Published 31 Aug 2022 · rated high — fixed in supported branches only, never in 9.6. Details
Published 12 May 2023 · rated high — fixed in supported branches only, never in 9.6. Details
Published 10 Dec 2023 · rated high — fixed in supported branches only, never in 9.6. Details
Where to go from 9.6
Recommended target: PostgreSQL 18 (supported until 14 Nov 2030).
The newest actively supported branch is PostgreSQL 18 (latest release 18.4). Review postgresql.org before upgrading.
Frequently asked questions
Is PostgreSQL 9.6 still safe to use?
No. PostgreSQL 9.6 stopped receiving security fixes on 11 Nov 2021. Since then, 40 PostgreSQL vulnerabilities have been published and fixed in supported branches — PostgreSQL 9.6 received none of those fixes.
Can I still download PostgreSQL 9.6?
Yes — the final release (9.6.24) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade PostgreSQL 9.6 to?
Upgrade to PostgreSQL 18, the newest actively supported branch (supported until 14 Nov 2030).