Does your host allow you to use deprecated php versions?

[Ravenfreak]

One thing I've noticed about both IONOS and Hostinger is they allow you to use deprecated php versions. I unfortunately didn't realize that I was using older php versions on my IONOS account and I got charged extra but I switched to the newest php version on my live sites so I don't have to worry about security issues. Does your hosting allow you to use older versions of php? If so do you have to pay an extra fee to keep them around? I needed to be able to use a older version of php to get my Jcink forum converted to self hosting, since I had to convert it from IPB 1.3 to phpBB2 and phpBB2 will not function on anything newere than 5.6. (There's a patch made to keep it running on php 7x but I couldn't get it to work.)

 

[Tracy]

I'd run far far away from hosts that allow use of deprecated versions of PHP. Their allowing their clients use of it allows a path of intrusion that could affect every other client on that server instance.
Now, if they would put them all on dedicated instances so that an intrusion would only affect those that elect (or have to) run those older versions that would be great. But they tend to mix them into the customers that do their best to stay current, both with the software scripts they run and the PHP versions they run on it.
If you run a software that is so archaic that it needs PHP (or even MYSQL) versions that are outdated, maybe it's time to upgrade to a newer version, migrate to another software or get a VPS where you only infect/affect your site if it gets violated.

As for needing to use older versions to migrate. If that is the case, it's simple enough to get a 1 month Digital Ocean/Linode VPS and burn out a quick AlmaLinux and CentMin install and do it there. That way it's totally away from everybody else.
Yes, it's more work... but it's also more secure.
That is one of my peeves with XenForo... they are STLL supporting outdated versions of PHP. They really need to just get off the stick and tell the clients you HAVE to be on at least 8.0 of PHP. But that would negatively impact their income stream (which is probably hurting already) since they still have so many running 7.2 and 7.4 of PHP. It's a catch 22. You don't give them a reason to upgrade then they won't upgrade.