Legacy Tech Risks in 2025: Why Enterprises Still Use EOL CentOS & Angular.js

Discover the critical Legacy Tech Risks in 2025—why 40% of enterprises still use EOL CentOS and Angular.js, and how it impacts security, compliance, and modernization efforts.

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In 2025, as AI-driven DevOps and zero-trust architectures dominate IT conversations, a silent crisis persists: 40% of enterprises still run End-of-Life (EOL) CentOS, while 15% cling to Angular.js 1.x—despite its 2021 deprecation. These legacy systems aren’t just technical debt; they’re compliance time bombs and breach magnets.

Why Legacy Tech Still Thrives: The Illusion of Stability

Legacy systems endure due to three dangerous myths:

• “It Still Works”: Functional inertia outweighs perceived risks.
• Migration Complexity: 68% of organizations cite retesting critical apps as the top barrier.
• Skill Gaps: 75% lack personnel trained in modern alternatives like Rocky Linux or React.

💡 The Trap: EOL software lacks security patches, violates regulations (GDPR/HIPAA), and locks teams into deprecated dependencies. A single unpatched CVE-2025-3887 flaw in CentOS 7’s gstreamer1-plugins-bad-free enables remote code execution via malformed video streams—a favorite attacker entry point.

CentOS 7: A Case Study in Institutional Paralysis

Red Hat’s shift to CentOS Stream stranded enterprises relying on “stable” builds. Despite CentOS 7’s June 2024 EOL, 25% of large enterprises still have no migration plan.

Real-World Fallout

• Breach Costs: Organizations using EOL CentOS are 3× more likely to fail compliance audits.
• Case Example: A European bank avoided a €500K ransomware attack by migrating to AlmaLinux—but only after finding exploit attempts in logs.

Excuses vs. Solutions

Angular.js 1.x: The Zombie Framework

92% of Angular.js 1.x codebases contain unpatched CVEs like CVE-2023-26116 (ReDoS attacks). Yet migration stalls due to:

• Cost: Rewriting monolithic SPAs averages $120K.
• Toolchain Decay: Reliance on dead tools (Bower, Gulp).

Modernization Playbook

1. Assess: Run ngMigration Assistant + OWASP scan.
2. Refactor Incrementally: Replace modules with React/Vue, not big-bang rewrites.
3. Upskill: Enroll teams in Open Source Contribution in Finance (LFD137).

The Compliance Ticking Clock

Legacy tech violates three critical 2025 mandates:

1. EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA): Requires SBOMs + vulnerability disclosure.
2. PCI DSS 4.0: Mandates supported software for payment systems.
3. HIPAA: Penalizes unpatched PHI-access systems.

📉 Data: 68% of CentOS 7 users fail compliance audits vs. 45% for Angular.js.

Strategic Migration Framework

1. Triage & Prioritize

• Critical Systems: Public-facing apps → Migrate first.
• Low-Risk: Internal tools → Containerize + isolate.
• Use Red Hat Insights for dependency mapping.

2. Choose Your Path

3. Mitigate Risks During Transition

• Extended Support: TuxCare’s ELS for CentOS 7 (rebootless patches).
• Virtual Patching: Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) for Angular.js CVEs.

4. Upskill Relentlessly

• Linux Foundation Courses: Securing Supply Chains (LFEL1007), Zero Trust (LFS183).
• AI-Powered Refactoring: Use GenAI to convert Angular.js syntax (see GenAI-powered Microservices).

Conclusion: Migrate or Disintegrate

Legacy systems are the “asbestos of IT infrastructure—inert until they catastrophically fail”. With 70% of FOSS components maintained by <10 people, proactive migration isn’t optional—it’s supply-chain hygiene. Enterprises that modernize report 40% fewer breaches and 30% faster deployments.

Final Takeaway:
“Unsupported software isn’t a ‘cost-saving’—it’s a liability compounder. Control your timeline, or vulnerabilities will.”

Start Your Modernization Journey:

• 2025 State of Open Source Report
• CentOS 7 to AlmaLinux Migration Checklist
• Free Linux Foundation Training