LibreSSL Usage & Deployment

Updated: December 21, 2023

Here's a list of operating systems and Linux distros that have adopted LibreSSL, OpenBSD's fork of OpenSSL. Various software projects incorporate LibreSSL and it's a little difficult to keep track of them, so this page focuses on operating systems and other large users.

Please support LibreSSL development through the OpenBSD Foundation.

Operating systems

OpenBSD
macOS
Hyperbola
OPNsense (distributes both OpenSSL- and LibreSSL-based systems)
DragonFly BSD
Windows 10 and later (used in SSH/PowerShell)
Windows 11

libtls bindings etc.

C: libtls-bearssl — libtls implemented with BearSSL (Michael Forney)
C: LibreTLS — libtls implemented with OpenSSL (June Bug)
C++: libtlscpp — A C++ encapsulation of libtls (Nan Xiao)
Mruby: mruby-tls (Hendrik)
Rust: libtls (Reyk Floeter)

Timeline notes

2014-04-07: Security advisory published for OpenSSL's devastating Heartbleed bug.
2014-04-07: heartbleed.com is published, explaining the bug.
2014-04-08: OpenSSL's exploit mitigation countermeasures are revealed.
2014-04-09: Bruce Schneier states that "On the scale of 1 to 10, [Heartbleed] is an 11."
2014-04-22: Must Read: Ted Unangst publishes the origins of libressl.
2014-07-11: First Release of LibreSSL Portable Available.
2014-08-06: Void Linux switches to LibreSSL.
2014-12-28: OpenELEC switches from OpenSSL to LibreSSL in 5.0.
2015-03-18: Drupal.org: "We are now running the latest LibreSSL release."
2015-04-14: h2o bundles LibreSSL in version 1.2.0.
2016-09-07: DragonFly BSD now has LibreSSL in the base system.
2016-12-22: Alpine Linux gets LibreSSL in version 3.5.
2017-04-11: LibreSSL 2.5.3 adds x25519 key exchange support.
2017-05-30: curl author's poll shows steady growth in LibreSSL usage.
2017-09-25: macOS High Sierra includes LibreSSL.
2017-10-05: cwRsync update 5.6.0 bundles LibreSSL instead of OpenSSL.
2018-05-16: Possible first sighting of LibreSSL in Windows 10.
2020-05-07: LibreSSL 3.1.1 includes initial TLS 1.3 support.
2020-10-20: LibreSSL 3.2.2 includes full TLS 1.3 support, for client and server, using the libtls API.
2021-03-08: VOID Linux switches back to OpenSSL
2021-04-17: LibreSSL 3.3.2 adds '--enable-libtls-only' build option
2021-09-15: LibreSSL 3.4.0 adds support for OpenSSL 1.1.1 TLSv1.3 APIs
2022-12-12: LibreSSL 3.7.0 adds "Ed25519 support both as a primitive and via OpenSSL's EVP interfaces"

Coming soon!

Which OS/project is next?