Python 2.6 End of Life
Support dates, vulnerabilities published since end of life, and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
Python 2.6 reached end of life on 29 Oct 2013. It no longer receives security fixes.
Support timeline
Official dates from the Python release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 1 Oct 2008 | — |
| End of life | 29 Oct 2013 | 12.8 years ago |
| Latest release | 2.6.9 · 29 Oct 2013 | final |
The cost of staying: CVEs since end of life
106 Python vulnerabilities have been published since 29 Oct 2013. All were fixed in supported branches — 2.6 received none of them. Source: NVD.
Python CVEs published since 2.6's EOL, by year
16 of the 106 are rated critical · data refreshed 2026-08-09
Published 26 May 2016 · rated critical — fixed in supported branches only, never in 2.6. Details
Published 2 Sept 2016 · rated critical — fixed in supported branches only, never in 2.6. Details
Published 17 Nov 2017 · rated critical — fixed in supported branches only, never in 2.6. Details
Where to go from 2.6
Recommended target: Python 3.14 (supported until 31 Oct 2030).
The newest actively supported branch is Python 3.14 (latest release 3.14.7). Review docs.python.org before upgrading.
Frequently asked questions
Is Python 2.6 still safe to use?
No. Python 2.6 stopped receiving security fixes on 29 Oct 2013. Since then, 106 Python vulnerabilities have been published and fixed in supported branches — Python 2.6 received none of those fixes.
Can I still download Python 2.6?
Yes — the final release (2.6.9) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade Python 2.6 to?
Upgrade to Python 3.14, the newest actively supported branch (supported until 31 Oct 2030).