Is OpenOffice Safe to Download and Use in 2026?

Apache OpenOffice is a genuine, legitimate open-source office suite, and downloading it from the official website is safe. The honest answer to “is OpenOffice safe?”, though, is a qualified yes: the software itself is not malware, but in 2026 it carries two real caveats you should understand before installing it — a high-severity security flaw that was still unpatched in the current release at the time of writing, and a slow, occasional update schedule compared with rival suites. This guide explains exactly where the risks are, where to get OpenOffice without picking up unwanted extras, and how to use it safely.

Is OpenOffice safe to download in 2026?

Yes — OpenOffice is safe to download as long as you get it from the official source. Apache OpenOffice is maintained by the Apache Software Foundation, a well-known non-profit that oversees hundreds of open-source projects. The installer is free, carries no spyware or adware, and has been downloaded more than 300 million times (over 333 million by 2022), so it is a thoroughly established and scrutinised piece of software rather than an unknown quantity.

“Open-source” means the program’s source code is published openly, so anyone — security researchers included — can inspect it for hidden or malicious behaviour. That transparency is a genuine safety advantage over closed software you simply have to trust. The danger with OpenOffice is almost never the program itself; it is where people download it from. For a full walkthrough of the official install steps on each platform, see our guide to downloading OpenOffice.

Where to download OpenOffice safely

Always start at the official website, openoffice.org/download. The official installers are hosted on SourceForge mirrors that the Apache project controls, and the current version is Apache OpenOffice 4.1.16, released on 10 November 2025 in 41 languages for Windows, macOS and Linux.

The real download risk comes from third-party sites. A search for “OpenOffice” surfaces many lookalike pages, software “download managers”, and freeware portals that wrap the genuine installer in their own packaging. These re-packaged versions can bundle browser toolbars, adware, or outright malware, and they are the single most common reason someone ends up with an “unsafe” copy of OpenOffice.

• Do download only from openoffice.org (or its official SourceForge project page).
• Don’t use “free download” aggregator sites, cracked-software pages or results that offer a “faster download” or “installer helper”.
• Check the file name and size after downloading, and keep your antivirus switched on so it can scan the installer.

Because OpenOffice is already free and open-source, there is never a legitimate reason to pay for it or to obtain it from an unofficial “activation” source.

Is OpenOffice safe to use? Its security track record

Using OpenOffice is safe for everyday documents, but like any office suite it can be a target for document-based attacks, and its security history is the area where it draws the most legitimate criticism. A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) is a publicly catalogued security flaw; tracking them is how you judge whether software is being looked after. OpenOffice has several open and recently patched CVEs that are worth knowing about.

The 2026 Java code-execution flaw (CVE-2026-59265)

The most serious current issue is CVE-2026-59265, published on 2 October 2026 and rated CVSS 8.8 (High). A flaw in OpenOffice’s Java integration means a specially crafted, untrusted document can run arbitrary code — potentially even code pulled from a remote server — the moment you open it. It affects version 4.1.16 and every earlier release, and the fix is expected in version 4.1.17, which was still at the release-candidate stage when this article was written.

You do not have to wait helplessly for the patch. There are two practical mitigations:

• Disable Java inside OpenOffice. Go to Tools → Options → OpenOffice → Java and turn off “Use a Java runtime environment”. This closes off the vulnerable pathway, and most ordinary writing and spreadsheet work does not need Java at all.
• Do not open documents you do not trust — especially unexpected attachments or files from strangers. This is the standard advice for every office suite, and it neutralises the attack entirely.

When 4.1.17 is released, upgrading to it is the complete fix. The flaw is serious on paper, but its real-world exploitation score (EPSS) is low, meaning there is no sign of it being used in widespread attacks — provided you follow the two mitigations above, your everyday risk is small.

The November 2025 security fixes

Version 4.1.16 itself was a security release. It patched a batch of seven flaws disclosed together — CVE-2025-64401 through CVE-2025-64407 — which between them could cause denial-of-service crashes, spoofing, and disclosure of information from the system. One of them, CVE-2025-64406, was an out-of-bounds memory-write bug (CVSS 4.3) that a malicious document could use to crash the program. The takeaway is simple: if you are running any version older than 4.1.16, update immediately, because those earlier builds are exposed to flaws that have already been fixed.

Is OpenOffice still being maintained?

This is the deeper safety question, and the honest answer is: barely. Apache OpenOffice has not had a major feature release since version 4.1 in 2014. Since then it has received only occasional maintenance and security patches — roughly one small release every year or two. The 4.1.16 update of November 2025 shows the project is not completely dormant, but it is a long way from an actively developed application.

Why this matters for safety: when a new document-handling vulnerability is discovered, the speed of the fix depends on how many developers are available to work on it. OpenOffice has struggled with exactly this since the mid-2010s, which is why high-severity flaws like CVE-2026-59265 can sit unpatched in the current release for a time. Software that patches slowly is riskier to run over the long term, even when the program itself is clean. For comparison, over the same period that OpenOffice issued a handful of maintenance patches, LibreOffice shipped more than a dozen major versions and a steady stream of security updates — a gap that widens every year.

By contrast, LibreOffice — which split from the same original codebase in 2010 — has a large, active developer community, ships major versions regularly, and issues security patches promptly. If long-term security maintenance is your priority, that difference is the single most important thing to weigh. Our LibreOffice vs OpenOffice comparison covers the split and the practical differences in full.

OpenOffice vs the safer alternatives

OpenOffice is not your only free option, and for security-conscious users the alternatives matter. The table below compares the main free suites on the points that affect safety — how actively each is patched and where your data lives.

For most people who like OpenOffice, LibreOffice is the natural upgrade: it opens the same OpenDocument files, looks and feels similar, and is patched far more quickly. If you would rather see the full range, our round-up of OpenOffice alternatives compares both free and paid suites in detail.

Does OpenOffice collect your data?

No — OpenOffice is a privacy-friendly choice because it runs entirely on your own computer. It is desktop software, not a cloud service, so your documents stay on your device and are not uploaded to any company’s servers unless you choose to share them yourself. There is no account to create, no sign-in, and no telemetry that sends your writing anywhere.

That local-only model is one of the suite’s real strengths over cloud tools such as Google Docs or Microsoft 365, where files live on remote servers by default. If you handle sensitive or confidential documents and want to keep them off the cloud, OpenOffice (or LibreOffice) stored locally is a sound option. You remain responsible for your own backups and device security, since nothing is copied to the cloud automatically.

Does OpenOffice slow down or harm your computer?

No — OpenOffice does not damage your computer or meaningfully slow it down. It is a light, self-contained desktop program that installs in around 440 MB and runs comfortably on hardware going back many years; its official minimum is just 256 MB of RAM. It does not install background services that run constantly, it does not inject itself into your web browser, and it does not phone home with usage data. When you close the program, it stops using your system’s resources.

The only genuine performance caveat is practical rather than a safety problem: very large spreadsheets or long, image-heavy documents can feel sluggish, because the suite has not had the performance work that newer, actively developed programs receive. That is an inconvenience, not a risk to your machine or your files. If you ever notice unexplained slowdowns, resource spikes or pop-ups that you associate with “OpenOffice”, the usual culprit is a counterfeit installer from an unofficial site — another reason to download only from openoffice.org.

How to use OpenOffice safely

Following a few habits removes almost all of the risk. The key points are to stay current and to be careful with files you did not create yourself.

• Download only from openoffice.org and keep your antivirus active while you install.
• Run the latest version (4.1.16, or 4.1.17 once released) and update as soon as a new security release appears.
• Disable the Java runtime integration unless you specifically need it, to close off the CVE-2026-59265 pathway.
• Treat unexpected documents with caution — do not open attachments from unknown senders, which is how document-based exploits reach you.
• Keep your operating system patched, since OS-level protections contain the damage if a document ever does misbehave.
• Back up important files separately, because local-only software means there is no cloud copy to fall back on.

Common mistakes people make with OpenOffice

Most “OpenOffice is unsafe” stories trace back to avoidable errors rather than the software itself. Watch for these:

• Downloading from a lookalike site. Fake “OpenOffice” pages and download-manager portals are the top source of bundled adware. Type the official address yourself rather than trusting a search advert.
• Running a years-old version. People install OpenOffice once and never update. An old build misses every security fix since — including the entire November 2025 batch — and is genuinely riskier.
• Leaving Java enabled while opening unknown files. This is the exact combination the 2026 flaw exploits.
• Assuming perfect Microsoft compatibility. Not a safety issue, but a frequent surprise: complex .docx and .xlsx files, and especially macros, may not render identically. Save in OpenDocument format for your own work and export copies when sharing.
• Paying for “OpenOffice”. Any site charging a licence fee is a scam — the real suite is free.

Who should — and shouldn’t — use OpenOffice

OpenOffice suits you if you want a free, offline, no-account office suite for straightforward documents and spreadsheets, or if you are running older hardware where a lightweight program is welcome. It reads and writes the standard OpenDocument formats and will not cost you anything.

It is a weaker choice if security patching speed matters to you, if you rely heavily on exchanging complex Microsoft Office files, or if you need modern collaboration features. In those cases LibreOffice gives you a near-identical experience with much faster updates, while Google Docs or Microsoft’s web apps give you cloud collaboration. For a fuller look at what the suite can and can’t do, see our Apache OpenOffice review, and our guide to understanding ODT files and comparing office suites if file formats are your concern.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is OpenOffice free and legal?

Yes. Apache OpenOffice is completely free and released under the open-source Apache License 2.0, so it is legal to download, use and share for personal, business or educational purposes. Any website charging a fee for it is not official and should be avoided.

Does OpenOffice contain viruses or malware?

The official installer from openoffice.org contains no viruses, spyware or adware. Infections associated with “OpenOffice” almost always come from copies downloaded via third-party or lookalike sites that re-package the installer with unwanted extras. Download only from the official source and scan the file before running it.

What is the latest safe version of OpenOffice?

The current version is Apache OpenOffice 4.1.16, released on 10 November 2025 as a security update. It is the version you should install. A 4.1.17 release was in the release-candidate stage at the time of writing to address the Java flaw CVE-2026-59265; upgrade to it once it is published.

Is OpenOffice safer than LibreOffice?

Both are clean, local, open-source programs, but LibreOffice is generally the safer long-term choice because it is actively developed and patched far more quickly. OpenOffice receives only occasional updates, so newly discovered flaws can stay unpatched longer. If fast security maintenance matters to you, LibreOffice is the stronger option.

Is it safe to open a Word or Excel file in OpenOffice?

Opening a trusted .docx or .xlsx file is safe, and OpenOffice can read and edit both, though very complex formatting or macros may not display identically. The real caution is with files from unknown senders: because of the 2026 Java vulnerability, disable Java in OpenOffice’s settings and avoid opening documents you were not expecting.