Deletion of Outdated Azul Zulu for Azure Container Images for Better Security

We at Microsoft are committed to providing a secure ecosystem for building and deploying applications. As part of this commitment, we are announcing the deletion of outdated Azul Zulu for Azure container images from the Microsoft Container Registry (MCR) to enhance security.

This action will not affect any of the container images of the Microsoft Build of OpenJDK.

?? Why This Matters: Outdated images can expose your systems to vulnerabilities. By removing these images, we eliminate the risk of building on insecure foundations.

?? Key Date: All images under mcr.microsoft.com/java/ will be deleted on June 30th, 2025. This includes over 1,800 tags such as mcr.microsoft.com/java/jdk:11-zulu-alpine and mcr.microsoft.com/java/jre:8-zulu-alpine.

?? What You Need to Do:

• Audit Your Pipelines: Review your build and deployment pipelines to identify any dependencies on these images.
• Update Your Systems: Ensure you are using images with active support and regular updates. Alternatives can be found in our An external link was removed to protect your privacy.
• Use official and supported container images for Java by Microsoft: Visit learn.microsoft.com/java/openjdk/containers to learn more about up-to-date and secure container images.

?? Tools to Help:

• Docker Scout: Scan your container images for known vulnerabilities.
• ORAS CLI: Inspect lifecycle metadata to identify deprecated or end-of-life images.

Your security is our priority. Let's work together to build a secure, sustainable future for containerized applications.

For more details, check out the full blog post.