diff --git a/framework-platform/framework-platform.gradle b/framework-platform/framework-platform.gradle
index ca62aaccf40..e921187bf35 100644
--- a/framework-platform/framework-platform.gradle
+++ b/framework-platform/framework-platform.gradle
@@ -25,15 +25,15 @@ dependencies {
 
 	constraints {
 		api("com.fasterxml:aalto-xml:1.3.2")
-		api("com.fasterxml.woodstox:woodstox-core:6.5.1")
+		api("com.fasterxml.woodstox:woodstox-core:6.6.1")
 		api("com.github.ben-manes.caffeine:caffeine:3.1.8")
 		api("com.github.librepdf:openpdf:1.3.42")
 		api("com.google.code.findbugs:findbugs:3.0.1")
 		api("com.google.code.findbugs:jsr305:3.0.2")
 		api("com.google.code.gson:gson:2.10.1")
-		api("com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java-util:3.25.2")
+		api("com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java-util:3.25.3")
 		api("com.h2database:h2:2.2.224")
-		api("com.jayway.jsonpath:json-path:2.8.0")
+		api("com.jayway.jsonpath:json-path:2.9.0")
 		api("com.rometools:rome:1.19.0")
 		api("com.squareup.okhttp3:mockwebserver:3.14.9")
 		api("com.squareup.okhttp3:okhttp:3.14.9")
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ dependencies {
 		api("com.sun.xml.bind:jaxb-core:3.0.2")
 		api("com.sun.xml.bind:jaxb-impl:3.0.2")
 		api("com.sun.xml.bind:jaxb-xjc:3.0.2")
-		api("com.thoughtworks.qdox:qdox:2.0.3")
+		api("com.thoughtworks.qdox:qdox:2.1.0")
 		api("com.thoughtworks.xstream:xstream:1.4.20")
 		api("commons-io:commons-io:2.15.0")
 		api("de.bechte.junit:junit-hierarchicalcontextrunner:4.12.2")
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/util/UriTemplateTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/util/UriTemplateTests.java
index 723aa83a99f..54c0640bfc0 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/util/UriTemplateTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/util/UriTemplateTests.java
@@ -53,6 +53,13 @@ class UriTemplateTests {
 		assertThat(variableNames).as("Invalid variable names").isEqualTo(Arrays.asList("hotel", "booking"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void getVariableNamesFromEmpty() {
+		UriTemplate template = new UriTemplate("");
+		List<String> variableNames = template.getVariableNames();
+		assertThat(variableNames).isEmpty();
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void expandVarArgs() {
 		UriTemplate template = new UriTemplate("/hotels/{hotel}/bookings/{booking}");
@@ -60,6 +67,13 @@ class UriTemplateTests {
 		assertThat(result).as("Invalid expanded template").isEqualTo(URI.create("/hotels/1/bookings/42"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void expandVarArgsFromEmpty() {
+		UriTemplate template = new UriTemplate("");
+		URI result = template.expand();
+		assertThat(result).as("Invalid expanded template").isEqualTo(URI.create(""));
+	}
+
 	@Test  // SPR-9712
 	void expandVarArgsWithArrayValue() {
 		UriTemplate template = new UriTemplate("/sum?numbers={numbers}");
@@ -135,6 +149,15 @@ class UriTemplateTests {
 		assertThat(template.matches(null)).as("UriTemplate matches").isFalse();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void matchesAgainstEmpty() {
+		UriTemplate template = new UriTemplate("");
+		assertThat(template.matches("/hotels/1/bookings/42")).as("UriTemplate matches").isFalse();
+		assertThat(template.matches("/hotels/bookings")).as("UriTemplate matches").isFalse();
+		assertThat(template.matches("")).as("UriTemplate does not match").isTrue();
+		assertThat(template.matches(null)).as("UriTemplate matches").isFalse();
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void matchesCustomRegex() {
 		UriTemplate template = new UriTemplate("/hotels/{hotel:\\d+}");
@@ -153,6 +176,13 @@ class UriTemplateTests {
 		assertThat(result).as("Invalid match").isEqualTo(expected);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void matchAgainstEmpty() {
+		UriTemplate template = new UriTemplate("");
+		Map<String, String> result = template.match("/hotels/1/bookings/42");
+		assertThat(result).as("Invalid match").isEmpty();
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void matchCustomRegex() {
 		Map<String, String> expected = new HashMap<>(2);