Kafka Versions: Release, EOL and Latest Patch for Every Version
Apache Kafka 4.3, released on 20 May 2026, is the newest Kafka version. Apache sets no calendar date for a Kafka EOL: it lists 4.3, 4.2 and 4.1 as supported, and 3.9 (final release 3.9.2) and 4.0 as archived. Confluent Community software support for 3.9 ends on 19 February 2027. Dates checked against kafka.apache.org and endoflife.date on 22 October 2026. The table dates 3.9 to its final release on 21 February 2026; endoflife.date shows no end date for 4.0, so the table counts 4.0 as supported.
Apache Kafka aims for three releases a year, one every four months, and the community attempts bugfix releases for the last three releases only. The Kafka downloads page lists those supported releases; every older line, including the ZooKeeper-capable 3.x versions, gets no further community fixes.
- Latest release
- 4.4.0
- Supported lines
- 5
- End-of-life lines
- 26
- Next end of life
- None scheduled
Still on ZooKeeper?
Kafka 3.x on ZooKeeper: stay supported, then move to KRaft
The solution page lists the Kafka and Confluent Platform dates side by side, the CVEs published since the earlier lines ended, and a KRaft readiness checklist built from Apache's documentation. It also covers keeping 3.x brokers and the ZooKeeper ensemble patched while the migration is planned.
Who patches Apache Kafka after end of life
OSSeva provides Apache Kafka extended support: patched, signed builds for Apache Kafka 3.9, 3.8, 3.7, 3.6, 3.3, 3.0 and 2.8 after upstream support ends, plus 24/7 operations on the Operate tier.
Apache Kafka support Apache Kafka release timeline
All Apache Kafka versions, release dates and end-of-life dates
| Version | Release date | End of life | Confluent Community software End of Support | Latest patch | CVEs since EOL | OSSeva |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4 | 18 days ago(13 Oct 2026) | Yes | Ends in 2 years(27 Oct 2028) | 4.4.0 | – | – |
| 4.3 | 5 months ago(20 May 2026) | Yes | Ends in 1 year and 8 months(17 Jun 2028) | 4.3.2 | – | – |
| 4.2 | 8 months ago(17 Feb 2026) | Yes | Ends in 1 year and 4 months(4 Mar 2028) | 4.2.2 | – | – |
| 4.1 | 1 year and 2 months ago(2 Sept 2025) | Yes | Ends in 11 months(15 Oct 2027) | 4.1.2 | – | – |
| 4.0 | 1 year and 7 months ago(18 Mar 2025) | Yes | Ends in 7 months(11 Jun 2027) | 4.0.2 | – | – |
| 3.9Apache Kafka 3.9 end of life | 2 years ago(6 Nov 2024) | Ended 8 months ago(21 Feb 2026) | Ends in 4 months(19 Feb 2027) | 3.9.2 | None | Patched |
| 3.8Apache Kafka 3.8 end of life | 2 years and 3 months ago(26 Jul 2024) | Ended 2 years ago(6 Nov 2024) | Ends in 32 days(2 Dec 2026) | 3.8.1 | 43 scored 7.0+ | Patched |
| 3.7 | 2 years and 8 months ago(26 Feb 2024) | Ended 2 years and 3 months ago(26 Jul 2024) | Ended 3 months ago(26 Jul 2026) | 3.7.2 | 43 scored 7.0+ | Patched |
| 3.6 | 3 years and 1 month ago(3 Oct 2023) | Ended 2 years and 8 months ago(27 Feb 2024) | Ended 9 months ago(9 Feb 2026) | 3.6.2 | 63 scored 7.0+ | Patched |
| 3.5 | 3 years and 5 months ago(13 Jun 2023) | Ended 3 years and 1 month ago(3 Oct 2023) | Ended 1 year and 2 months ago(25 Aug 2025) | 3.5.2 | 74 scored 7.0+ | – |
| 3.4 | 3 years and 9 months ago(6 Feb 2023) | Ended 3 years and 5 months ago(13 Jun 2023) | Ended 1 year and 6 months ago(3 May 2025) | 3.4.1 | 63 scored 7.0+ | – |
| 3.3 | 4 years and 1 month ago(28 Sept 2022) | Ended 3 years and 9 months ago(6 Feb 2023) | Ended 2 years ago(4 Nov 2024) | 3.3.2 | 85 scored 7.0+ | Patched |
| 3.2 | 4 years and 6 months ago(9 May 2022) | Ended 4 years and 1 month ago(28 Sept 2022) | Ended 2 years and 4 months ago(6 Jul 2024) | 3.2.3 | 85 scored 7.0+ | – |
| 3.1 | 4 years and 9 months ago(21 Jan 2022) | Ended 4 years and 1 month ago(19 Sept 2022) | Ended 2 years and 7 months ago(5 Apr 2024) | 3.1.2 | 85 scored 7.0+ | – |
| 3.0 | 5 years and 1 month ago(20 Sept 2021) | Ended 4 years and 1 month ago(19 Sept 2022) | Ended 3 years ago(27 Oct 2023) | 3.0.2 | 74 scored 7.0+ | Patched |
| 2.8Apache Kafka 2.8 end of life | 5 years and 6 months ago(18 Apr 2021) | Ended 4 years and 1 month ago(19 Sept 2022) | Ended 3 years and 5 months ago(8 Jun 2023) | 2.8.2 | 74 scored 7.0+ | Patched |
| 2.7 | 5 years and 10 months ago(19 Dec 2020) | Ended 4 years and 11 months ago(15 Nov 2021) | Ended 3 years and 9 months ago(9 Feb 2023) | 2.7.2 | Not assessed | – |
| 2.6 | 6 years and 3 months ago(3 Aug 2020) | Ended 4 years and 11 months ago(15 Nov 2021) | Ended 4 years and 1 month ago(24 Sept 2022) | 2.6.3 | Not assessed | – |
| 2.5 | 6 years and 7 months ago(14 Apr 2020) | Ended 6 years and 3 months ago(10 Aug 2020) | Ended 4 years and 6 months ago(24 Apr 2022) | 2.5.1 | Not assessed | – |
| 2.4 | 6 years and 11 months ago(14 Dec 2019) | Ended 6 years and 7 months ago(15 Apr 2020) | Ended 4 years and 10 months ago(10 Jan 2022) | 2.4.1 | Not assessed | – |
| 2.3 | 7 years and 4 months ago(24 Jun 2019) | Ended 6 years and 10 months ago(16 Dec 2019) | Ended 5 years and 3 months ago(19 Jul 2021) | 2.3.1 | Not assessed | – |
| 2.2 | 7 years and 7 months ago(22 Mar 2019) | Ended 6 years and 11 months ago(1 Dec 2019) | Ended 5 years and 7 months ago(28 Mar 2021) | 2.2.2 | Not assessed | – |
| 2.1 | 7 years and 11 months ago(20 Nov 2018) | Ended 7 years and 7 months ago(22 Mar 2019) | Ended 5 years and 11 months ago(14 Dec 2020) | 2.1.1 | Not assessed | – |
| 2.0 | 8 years and 3 months ago(28 Jul 2018) | Ended 7 years and 11 months ago(20 Nov 2018) | Ended 6 years and 3 months ago(31 Jul 2020) | 2.0.1 | Not assessed | – |
| 1.1 | 8 years and 7 months ago(28 Mar 2018) | Ended 8 years and 3 months ago(30 Jul 2018) | Ended 6 years and 6 months ago(16 Apr 2020) | 1.1.1 | Not assessed | – |
| 1.0 | 9 years ago(31 Oct 2017) | Ended 8 years and 4 months ago(8 Jul 2018) | Ended 6 years and 11 months ago(28 Nov 2019) | 1.0.2 | Not assessed | – |
| 0.11 | 9 years and 4 months ago(28 Jun 2017) | Ended 8 years and 4 months ago(2 Jul 2018) | Ended 7 years and 3 months ago(1 Aug 2019) | 0.11.0.3 | Not assessed | – |
| 0.10 | 10 years and 5 months ago(22 May 2016) | Ended 8 years and 4 months ago(2 Jul 2018) | Ended 7 years and 8 months ago(2 Mar 2019) | 0.10.2.2 | Not assessed | – |
| 0.9 | 10 years and 11 months ago(23 Nov 2015) | Ended 10 years and 5 months ago(22 May 2016) | Ended 8 years and 11 months ago(7 Dec 2017) | 0.9.0.1 | Not assessed | – |
| 0.8 | 12 years and 11 months ago(3 Dec 2013) | Ended 10 years and 11 months ago(23 Nov 2015) | Ended | 0.8.2.2 | Not assessed | – |
| 0.7 | 14 years and 10 months ago(4 Jan 2012) | Ended 12 years and 11 months ago(3 Dec 2013) | Ended | 0.7.2 | Not assessed | – |
Lifecycle data from endoflife.date (MIT licence), refreshed 31 Oct 2026. “Patched” marks end-of-life lines OSSeva ships signed, backported builds for. “CVEs since EOL” counts advisories in OSSeva’s CVE directory that were published after the line ended and whose affected range covers its final release. The directory holds the advisories NVD matches to the product, mostly scored 7.0 or higher, so it is a subset of every advisory.
What end of life means for Kafka
The Apache Kafka project makes bugfix releases for supported releases only and lists them on its downloads page: 4.3, 4.2 and 4.1. Everything else is archived. A line leaves the supported list when newer minors ship, so each older line's end date is the day its successor was released. Kafka 3.9's final release was 3.9.2, on 21 February 2026.
ZooKeeper has its own calendar. Only ZooKeeper 3.8 and 3.9 receive fixes, so a ZooKeeper-mode cluster is exposed through two layers at once.
CVEs published since Kafka 3.8 ended
These are the CVEs in OSSeva's CVE directory that name 3.x lines and were published after 3.8 ended on 6 November 2024. Apache fixed each first in 3.9.1 or 3.9.2, so no 3.8 or earlier release carries a fix.
3 in the directory as of 20 October 2026.
| CVE | CVSS | Published | Issue | Fixed upstream in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2025-27818 | 8.8 | 10 Jun 2025 | possible security vulnerability has been identified in Apache Kafka. | 3.9.1 and later |
| CVE-2025-27817 | 7.5 | 10 Jun 2025 | possible arbitrary file read and SSRF vulnerability has been identified in Apache Kafka Client. | 3.9.1 and later |
| CVE-2026-35554 | 8.7 | 7 Apr 2026 | race condition in the Apache Kafka Java producer client’s buffer pool management can cause… | 3.9.2, 4.0.2, 4.1.2 and later |
The directory lists Kafka CVEs matched at NVD to the product. A CVE is listed when its MITRE record names a range that covers the line and it was published after the line ended. Fixed-in versions are from the MITRE records.
Migrate to KRaft, or keep 3.x patched while you plan
Moving to a supported line means migrating to KRaft on 3.x, with 3.9 as the bridge, finalising, and only then upgrading to 4.x. Scope follows the number of clusters, partitions and clients, and the change windows you have. The finalise step cannot be reverted.
Clusters that cannot finish before an audit or scanner deadline can stay on patched 3.x brokers and a patched ZooKeeper ensemble. Support is priced per cluster.
Running an end-of-life Apache Kafka version?
OSSeva keeps end-of-life Apache Kafka patched with signed builds and backported CVE fixes, documents it for your auditor, and can run it for you, so the upgrade happens on your schedule rather than the project’s.
Apache Kafka extended supportWhich Kafka versions are supported?
Apache lists 4.3, 4.2 and 4.1 as supported releases. 4.0 and 3.9 are archived, and 3.8 and older have ended. Checked on kafka.apache.org on 20 October 2026.
When did Kafka 3.9 reach end of life?
The final 3.9 release, 3.9.2, shipped on 21 February 2026 and the Apache downloads page lists the line as archived. endoflife.date shows no end date for it.
Does Kafka 4.0 still use ZooKeeper?
No. Kafka 4.0, released on 18 March 2025, removed ZooKeeper mode. A cluster on ZooKeeper has to migrate to KRaft on 3.x before it can upgrade.
How many Apache Kafka versions are supported?
Three. The Kafka time-based release plan says the community will attempt bugfix releases for the last three releases, and the downloads page says bugfix releases are made for supported releases only. With three releases a year, a Kafka line typically has about a year of community fixes after it ships.
Is Kafka 3.9 end of life?
In the Apache community, yes. Kafka 3.9 is no longer on the supported releases list at kafka.apache.org, which covers only the three newest releases, so the community ships no more 3.9 fixes. 3.9 was the last line able to run in ZooKeeper mode. The extended column above shows Confluent's own dates for each line.
Does Kafka 4.0 still support ZooKeeper?
No. The Kafka 4.0 upgrade notes state that 4.0 supports only KRaft mode and that ZooKeeper mode has been removed. Brokers upgrading to 4.0 must already run in KRaft mode on 3.3.x or later, so clusters still on ZooKeeper have to migrate to KRaft while they are on a 3.x release.
What is the latest Apache Kafka version?
4.4.0, released 13 Oct 2026, on the 4.4 line. Other supported lines: 4.3, 4.2, 4.1 and 4.0.
Which Apache Kafka versions are still supported?
4.4, 4.3, 4.2, 4.1 and 4.0. Every other line has reached end of life, per the dates in the table above.
Can I get security patches for an end-of-life Apache Kafka version?
Yes. OSSeva ships signed builds with backported CVE fixes for Apache Kafka 3.9, 3.8, 3.7, 3.6, 3.3, 3.0 and 2.8 after upstream support ends, on the Patch, Assure and Operate tiers, so you can stay on the version you run while you plan the upgrade.
Who provides Apache Kafka support after end of life?
OSSeva provides Apache Kafka extended support: patched, signed builds for Apache Kafka 3.9, 3.8, 3.7, 3.6, 3.3, 3.0 and 2.8 after upstream support ends, plus 24/7 operations on the Operate tier.
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