Drupal 8 upgrade

Drupal 8 Support

Time’s Up for Drupal 8: Why You Need to Migrate to Drupal 11

Drupal 8 reached its end‑of‑life on November 2 2021. Built on the Symfony 3 framework, it no longer receives features or security updates【437752992826276†L40-L79】. Staying on Drupal 8 leaves your site unsupported and exposed to unpatched vulnerabilities.

1. Remote Code Execution via RESTful Services (CVE‑2019‑6340)

  • What it was: Inadequate sanitization of fields in non‑form sources allowed attackers to trigger arbitrary remote code execution on servers running Drupal 8【548020295415335†L28-L43】.
  • Real‑world impact: If the core RESTful Web Services module or JSON:API was enabled and accepted PATCH/POST requests, an attacker could exploit this flaw to run code with the privileges of the web server【548020295415335†L34-L43】.
  • Learn more: Rapid7 CVE‑2019‑6340 write‑up

2. Cross‑Site Scripting in jQuery UI (CVE‑2021‑41184)

  • What it was: Drupal Core between 8.0.0 and 9.1.15 failed to properly sanitize user‑supplied input when rendering UI components【859990810631403†L40-L46】.
  • Real‑world impact: Attackers could inject JavaScript into pages viewed by authenticated users, leading to cookie theft or session hijacking【859990810631403†L40-L45】.
  • Learn more: Acunetix advisory for CVE‑2021‑41184

3. File‑Download Access Control Bypass (CVE‑2023‑31250)

  • What it was: The file download facility didn’t sufficiently sanitize file paths, letting unauthenticated users access private files【851504843828582†L70-L80】.
  • Real‑world impact: Under certain configurations, attackers could download confidential documents such as configuration exports or proprietary data【851504843828582†L70-L91】.
  • Learn more: Snyk advisory for CVE‑2023‑31250

What’s at Stake?

  • Loss of Symfony Support – Drupal 8 runs on Symfony 3, which no longer receives security patches【437752992826276†L67-L79】.
  • No More Updates – there are no new features, minor releases or long‑term support for Drupal 8【437752992826276†L69-L75】.
  • Security & Compliance Risks – unsupported software exposes you to data breaches, compliance fines and reputation damage.
  • Plugin Incompatibility – modules and themes you depend on may stop working as the ecosystem moves forward【437752992826276†L95-L101】.

Why Drupal 11?

  • Ongoing Security Support – quarterly security releases and fast responses to zero‑days.
  • Modern Codebase – built on PHP 8+ and Symfony 6 with Composer, offering stricter defaults and improved performance.
  • Built‑in Security Hardening – includes automated security headers and safer third‑party libraries.
  • Smooth Upgrade Path – upgrading from Drupal 8 to 11 is much easier than migrating from Drupal 7【437752992826276†L116-L121】.

Next Steps

  1. Update your site to the latest Drupal 8 release, then update modules and dependencies【437752992826276†L125-L127】.
  2. Audit custom code and remove deprecated APIs or functions.
  3. Upgrade to Drupal 10.3 as an intermediate step and then to Drupal 11【437752992826276†L108-L131】.
  4. Partner with experts – Graith Internet can plan and execute your migration while minimizing downtime.

Don't risk running outdated software. Drupal 8 has been out of support for years. Upgrade to Drupal 11 now to keep your site secure and future‑proof.