Alpine Linux is a lightweight Linux distribution designed for security and minimalism. It started in the mid‑2000s and grew into a popular base for containers, appliances, and secure servers.
- 2005: Alpine Linux is first released (August 2005).
- 2014: Alpine Linux 3.x series begins with the 3.1 branch.
- 2015-2018: Alpine gains popularity in container ecosystems due to minimal image sizes.
- 2020: Alpine becomes the default base for many Docker images and Kubernetes deployments.
- 2023: Alpine Linux 3.18 and 3.19 released with continued security hardening.
- 2024: Alpine Linux 3.20 and 3.21 released; continued growth in cloud-native deployments.
- 2025: Alpine Linux 3.22 and 3.23 released; security hardening improvements; OpenSSL security updates.
- 2026: Alpine Linux 3.23.3 becomes the latest published release (2026-01-27) with major OpenSSL security fixes; four concurrent stable branches maintained (v3.20-v3.23); Alpine 3.24 expected May 2026.
Alpine Linux continues as a leading lightweight, security-focused distribution:
- Release Model: Biannual stable releases (May and November) from rolling
edge branch.
- Active Branches:
- v3.23 (current, main+community until 2027-11-01)
- v3.22 (main until 2027-05-01)
- v3.21 (main until 2026-11-01)
- v3.20 (main until 2026-04-01)
- v3.19, v3.18 (security fixes on request)
- Support Window: Main repository support ~2 years; community repository until next stable release; EOL branches supported on request.
- Latest Release: 3.23.3 (2026-01-27) with major OpenSSL security fixes (CVE-2025-11187, CVE-2025-15467, CVE-2025-15468, CVE-2025-15469, CVE-2025-66199, CVE-2025-68160, CVE-2025-69418, CVE-2025-69419, CVE-2025-69420, CVE-2025-69421, CVE-2026-22795, CVE-2026-22796).
- Package Manager: apk (Alpine Package Keeper) - fast and lightweight.
- Init System: OpenRC (default); systemd not supported.
- C Library: musl libc for minimal footprint and security.
- Kernel: Linux 6.12 LTS series (3.23.x).
- Toolchain: GCC 14.x, musl libc 1.2.x, BusyBox 1.36.x.
- Use Cases: Containers, security appliances, embedded systems, minimal servers, cloud-native deployments, CI/CD pipelines.
- Next Expected Release: Alpine 3.24.0 in May 2026.
- 2024-2026: Consistent biannual release schedule maintained without disruption.
- Security: Regular security advisories and coordinated patches across all supported branches; January 2026 OpenSSL security release addressing 12 CVEs.
- Container Ecosystem: Alpine remains the base for minimal Docker images and OCI containers; ~5 MB base image size.
- Community Growth: Continued adoption in cloud-native and edge computing deployments; Kubernetes, microservices, and serverless platforms.
- Kernel Updates: Linux 6.12 LTS series in 3.23.x with improved hardware support and security patches.
- Toolchain Modernization: GCC 14.x, musl libc 1.2.x, BusyBox 1.36.x provide modern development environment.
- Extended Support: EOL branches (v3.18, v3.19) receive security fixes on request when patches exist.
| Branch |
Latest Release |
Date |
Support Status |
End of Main Support |
| v3.23 |
3.23.3 |
2026-01-27 |
🟢 Fully Supported |
2027-11-01 |
| v3.22 |
3.22.3 |
2026-01-27 |
🟢 Fully Supported |
2027-05-01 |
| v3.21 |
3.21.6 |
2026-01-27 |
🟢 Fully Supported |
2026-11-01 |
| v3.20 |
3.20.9 |
2026-01-27 |
🟢 Fully Supported |
2026-04-01 |
| v3.19 |
3.19.9 |
- |
🟡 On Request |
2025-11-01 |
| v3.18 |
3.18.12 |
- |
🟡 On Request |
2025-05-09 |
| Version |
Release Date |
Release Post |
| Alpine Linux 3.23.3 |
2026-01-27 |
https://www.alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.20.9-3.21.6-3.22.3-3.23.3-released.html |
| Alpine Linux 3.23.2 |
2025-12-17 |
https://www.alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.23.2-released.html |
| Alpine Linux 3.23.0 |
2025-12-03 |
https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.23.0-released.html |
| Alpine Linux 3.22.3 |
2026-01-27 |
https://www.alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.20.9-3.21.6-3.22.3-3.23.3-released.html |
| Alpine Linux 3.22.0 |
2025-05-30 |
https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.22.0-released.html |
| Alpine Linux 3.21.6 |
2026-01-27 |
https://www.alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.20.9-3.21.6-3.22.3-3.23.3-released.html |
| Alpine Linux 3.21.0 |
2024-12-05 |
https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.21.0-released.html |
| Alpine Linux 3.20.9 |
2026-01-27 |
https://www.alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.20.9-3.21.6-3.22.3-3.23.3-released.html |
| Alpine Linux 3.20.0 |
2024-05-22 |
https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.20.0-released.html |
| Alpine Linux 3.19.0 |
2023-12-07 |
https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.19.0-released.html |
On January 27, 2026, Alpine Linux released coordinated security updates across all active stable branches (v3.20-v3.23) addressing critical OpenSSL vulnerabilities.
| Version |
Point Release |
Release Date |
| v3.23 |
3.23.3 |
2026-01-27 |
| v3.22 |
3.22.3 |
2026-01-27 |
| v3.21 |
3.21.6 |
2026-01-27 |
| v3.20 |
3.20.9 |
2026-01-27 |
| CVE ID |
Severity |
Description |
| CVE-2025-11187 |
High |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2025-15467 |
High |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2025-15468 |
High |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2025-15469 |
High |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2025-66199 |
Medium |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2025-68160 |
Medium |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2025-69418 |
Medium |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2025-69419 |
Medium |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2025-69420 |
Medium |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2025-69421 |
Medium |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2026-22795 |
High |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
| CVE-2026-22796 |
High |
OpenSSL vulnerability |
- All active stable branches received simultaneous security updates
- Users advised to upgrade immediately to latest point releases
- Container images rebuilt with patched OpenSSL versions
- No breaking changes; security-only release
Browse Alpine Linux history by year:
Alpine Linux’s unique architecture makes it ideal for security-focused and minimal deployments:
- Lightweight: Smaller than glibc with reduced memory footprint
- Security: Built-in bounds checking and security features
- Standards-compliant: POSIX-compliant C library
- Static linking: Easy static binary compilation
- Multi-call binary: Single executable providing 300+ Unix utilities
- Minimal footprint: ~1 MB for complete userspace
- Configurable: Enable only needed applets
- Security: Reduced attack surface compared to full GNU utilities
- Dependency-based: Services start in correct order
- Lightweight: No systemd dependencies
- Compatible: Works with traditional init scripts
- Flexible: cgroups support, service supervision
- Fast: Optimized for quick package operations
- Simple: Easy-to-use command syntax
- Reliable: Transaction-based package operations
- Lightweight: Minimal dependencies
| Feature |
Description |
| PIE (Position Independent Executables) |
All packages compiled as PIE by default |
| Stack Smashing Protection |
Buffer overflow protection via stack canaries |
| FORTIFY_SOURCE |
Compile-time buffer overflow detection |
| PaX/Grsecurity |
Optional kernel hardening patches available |
| Minimal attack surface |
Small userspace reduces vulnerability exposure |
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_Linux
- https://alpinelinux.org/releases/
- https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.19.0-released.html
- https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.20.0-released.html
- https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.21.0-released.html
- https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.22.0-released.html
- https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.23.0-released.html
- https://www.alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.23.2-released.html
- https://www.alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.20.9-3.21.6-3.22.3-3.23.3-released.html
- https://alpinelinux.org/downloads/
- https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/