There is a silent threat to e-commerce that will reach a crisis level this coming June. The Magento 1.x branch is scheduled to reach End-Of-Life (EOL), creating a massive security threat since any e-commerce stores on this distribution will no longer receive critical security updates.
As of this writing, close to a quarter-million stores will be left vulnerable per current statistical estimates. Why is this effect so widespread? Many owners are still in the dark about whether they’re affected by Magneto 1.x EOL and how this problem came to be. Here’s a quick summary to help you understand the magnitude of this problem, and why it’s so important to make the switch to prevent an EOL crisis for your e-commerce site.
A Quick History of Magneto
The most popular platform for hosting e-commerce sites, Adobe Magneto launched in 2007 and quickly established itself as the app to beat thanks to its top-notch features and highly customizable interface. Eight years later, Adobe launched Magneto 2.0 as an upgrade to the already exemplary Magneto 1.0 platform. This upgrade constituted a total code and architectural rebuild from the ground up, and naturally, it came with the usual growing pains of improving on an older system.
Many e-commerce site owners preferred to stick to the more stable and proven Magneto 1.x, a decision that allowed them to minimize the impact of breaking changes between the two versions. It’s a common practice in the web developer community, so Magneto 2.0 did not possess nearly the widespread adoption that Magneto 1.x had accumulated over the previous eight years of patching, bug fixing, and troubleshooting.
Additionally, there currently are more sites using Magneto 1.x than Magneto 2.0. Out of the 270,000 or more e-commerce sites using Magneto, only about 11,000 currently have the Magneto 2.0 upgrade installed. This resistance to adopting the newer platform is the source of the current looming crisis, as the developers at Magneto are planning to sunset their support for Magneto 1.x as of June 2020.
How Magneto 1.x Branch Systems Are More Vulnerable
Since the launch of Magneto 2.0 in 2015, hackers and identity thieves have devoted their efforts to attacking Magneto 1.x hosting sites using an app called Magecart. This software allows unauthorized persons to gain access to credit cards and personal information used or stored on Magneto 1.x sites. Magecart is ineffective on Magneto 2.0 systems, so a Magneto 1.x build puts customer data and site security at critical risk of theft and attack.
Once Magneto 1.x systems go EOL this upcoming June, hackers will be redoubling their efforts to find bugs new to exploit. After all, there will be no new security updates for Magneto 1.x from the team at Adobe, and any site not on Magneto 2.0 will be wide open to attack. Site owners who don’t migrate to Magneto 2.0 are like store owners leaving their doors unlocked after the close of business, and the consequences of this are like what happens in the real world. Thieves break in and steal anything not nailed down.
How to Protect Your E-commerce Site From Magneto 1.x Vulnerabilities
To maintain security and compliance, site owners must migrate their stores to Magento 2.x. A data breach can severely damage an eCommerce brand, which is why security-focused Magento development and migration should be treated as a top business priority.
Migrating to Magento 2.x provides access to Adobe’s ongoing security updates, improved performance, better checkout experiences, and a modern architecture designed to handle evolving threats. Adobe’s security teams actively monitor and patch vulnerabilities as new exploits emerge—protection Magento 1.x will no longer receive.
It’s also important to understand that June 2020 is a firm deadline. Adobe already extended the EOL once, from November 2018, and further delays should not be expected. Continuing to operate on Magento 1.x puts both your business and your customers at serious risk.
If your eCommerce site still runs on Magento 1.x, action is required now. Upgrading to Magento 2.0 isn’t just a technical task—it’s a strategic investment in security, performance, and long-term growth. If you don’t already have a website maintenance or Magento development partner, now is the time to find one. Look for a provider with proven Magento migration experience, request multiple quotes, and plan your transition carefully.
Taking action now can help you avoid costly security incidents and ensure your eCommerce platform is built for the future—not stuck in the past.