AngularJS is the first major JavaScript web application framework developed by Google, which was released in 2010, but now discontinued, haven reached end of life on December 31, 2021.
Google will no longer release security patches or updates for AngularJS framework, leaving the numerous websites and applications built using AngularJS less secure over time as more security weaknesses are discovered in the AngularJS framework which go unfixed.
Now, there is a good chance that your favorite website or application was built using AngularJS, that leaves them open to hackers and other malicious actors to inject their own code into the web applications and gain access to your data.
As a web user, there isn't much you can do about the situation, other than letting your developers to know about your concerns.
While the onus falls on the developers for your web applications and websites to make the neccesary update, it is important to note that discovering vulnerabilities in the framework can take longer time and larger effort, as AngularJS will become less attractive to target as more web applications and websites move to other frameworks.
However, it’s pretty difficult to say exactly how many users AngularJS still has, as the framework is mostly distributed as a JavaScript file referenced directly from a static server.
AngularJS end of support doesn’t mean developers need to abandon their existing applications, several ways exist to migrate and continue advancing their web solutions.
Google has positioned Angular as a “batteries included” framework with built-in best practices, intended to support every developer with migrating their applications, leveraging the ng update experience.
Additionally, there are other JS frameworks like React or Vue.js, to which they can migrate old applications. Albeit, it can be completed incrementally with inbuilt tools, such as ngUpgrade which is a special library that matches AngularJS and Angular components, with React having ngReact, ngimport and Vue.js, ngVue.
Google will no longer release security patches or updates for AngularJS framework, leaving the numerous websites and applications built using AngularJS less secure over time as more security weaknesses are discovered in the AngularJS framework which go unfixed.
Now, there is a good chance that your favorite website or application was built using AngularJS, that leaves them open to hackers and other malicious actors to inject their own code into the web applications and gain access to your data.
What can Web users do to remediate the Situation?
As a web user, there isn't much you can do about the situation, other than letting your developers to know about your concerns.
While the onus falls on the developers for your web applications and websites to make the neccesary update, it is important to note that discovering vulnerabilities in the framework can take longer time and larger effort, as AngularJS will become less attractive to target as more web applications and websites move to other frameworks.
However, it’s pretty difficult to say exactly how many users AngularJS still has, as the framework is mostly distributed as a JavaScript file referenced directly from a static server.
What are the Upgrading / Migration options available?
AngularJS end of support doesn’t mean developers need to abandon their existing applications, several ways exist to migrate and continue advancing their web solutions.
Google has positioned Angular as a “batteries included” framework with built-in best practices, intended to support every developer with migrating their applications, leveraging the ng update experience.
Additionally, there are other JS frameworks like React or Vue.js, to which they can migrate old applications. Albeit, it can be completed incrementally with inbuilt tools, such as ngUpgrade which is a special library that matches AngularJS and Angular components, with React having ngReact, ngimport and Vue.js, ngVue.
