Question 1

What happens when Chef Inspec reaches end of life?

Accepted Answer

When Chef Inspec reaches end of life, it stops receiving security patches, bug fixes, and new features. Currently, 5 Chef Inspec versions are already EOL. The latest supported version is Chef Inspec 7. Running an EOL version exposes your systems to unpatched security vulnerabilities with no official fix available.

Question 2

Is Chef Inspec 7 still supported?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Chef Inspec 7 is actively supported. It receives security patches and bug fixes. Check the version table above for the full list of supported Chef Inspec releases and their exact end-of-life dates.

Question 3

Is it safe to use Chef Inspec after end of life?

Accepted Answer

No. Running Chef Inspec after EOL is not safe for production systems. Once a version reaches end of life, newly discovered CVEs are published publicly but never patched — leaving your systems permanently exposed. The only safe path is upgrading to an actively supported Chef Inspec release.

Question 4

How to upgrade from Chef Inspec 5 to Chef Inspec 7.x?

Accepted Answer

To upgrade Chef Inspec from 5 to 7: (1) review the official migration guide for breaking changes, (2) test your application against the new version in a staging environment, (3) update dependencies that have version constraints, (4) run your full test suite, (5) deploy with a rollback plan. The earlier you start, the more time you have to resolve compatibility issues before EOL.

Question 5

When is the next Chef Inspec LTS version?

Accepted Answer

Not all Chef Inspec releases have a designated LTS status. Check the version table above — LTS releases are marked with an "LTS" badge. Refer to the official Chef Inspec release policy for information on upcoming long-term support versions.

Question 6

How long does Chef Inspec support each version?

Accepted Answer

On average, Chef Inspec supports each release for approximately 36 months (~3 years).  The exact EOL date for each version is listed in the table above.

Version	Released	Active support	EOL date	Until EOL	Latest	CVEs	Status
7	Oct 16, 2025	—	No	—	7.1.7	—	Active
6	Nov 14, 2023	Oct 16, 2025	No	—	6.8.24	—	Active
5	Mar 17, 2022	Nov 14, 2023	Oct 16, 2025	236d ago	5.24.7	—	EOL
4	Apr 30, 2019	Mar 17, 2022	Nov 14, 2023	938d ago	4.56.58	—	EOL
3	Oct 15, 2018	Apr 30, 2019	Apr 30, 2020	2231d ago	3.9.3	—	EOL
2	Feb 20, 2018	Oct 15, 2018	Dec 31, 2019	2352d ago	2.3.28	—	EOL
1	Sep 26, 2016	Feb 20, 2018	Dec 31, 2019	2352d ago	1.51.31	—	EOL

Chef Inspec End of Life Dates

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