Wireshark 2.6 End of Life
Support dates and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
End of Life
Wireshark 2.6 reached end of life on 18 Oct 2020. It no longer receives security fixes.
2,121 days without security patches
Recommended action: upgrade to Wireshark 4.6. Check your versionwireshark --version
Support timeline
Official dates from the Wireshark release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 18 Apr 2018 | — |
| End of life | 18 Oct 2020 | 5.8 years ago |
| Active support ended | 28 Feb 2019 | security fixes only after this |
| Latest release | 2.6.20 · 23 Sept 2020 | final |
Where to go from 2.6
Recommended target: Wireshark 4.6.
The newest actively supported branch is Wireshark 4.6 (latest release 4.6.5).
Frequently asked questions
Is Wireshark 2.6 still safe to use?
Wireshark 2.6 reached end of life on 18 Oct 2020, 2,121 days ago, and is no longer covered by standard support. Running it means no guaranteed security fixes.
Can I still download Wireshark 2.6?
Yes — the final release (2.6.20) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade Wireshark 2.6 to?
Upgrade to Wireshark 4.6, the newest actively supported branch.