diff --git a/DEV_GUIDE.md b/DEV_GUIDE.md
index 3303bc9fba..0f4bdffe1d 100644
--- a/DEV_GUIDE.md
+++ b/DEV_GUIDE.md
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ the container engine. Default value: `$HOME/.docker/config.json`
 * `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`: secret access key of the aws account with admin permissions to be used for KMS management. Mandatory when `AWS_USE_CLOUD` is `true`. Default value: `test`
 * `AWS_KROXYLICIOUS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`: key id of the aws account to be used for Kroxylicious config Map to encrypt/decrypt the messages. Mandatory when `AWS_USE_CLOUD` is `true`. Default value: `test`
 * `AWS_KROXYLICIOUS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`: secret access key of the aws account to be used for Kroxylicious config Map to encrypt/decrypt the messages. Mandatory when `AWS_USE_CLOUD` is `true`. Default value: `test`
-* `CURL_IMAGE`: curl image to be used in the corresponding arch for metrics tests. Default value: `mirror.gcr.io/curlimages/curl:8.17.0`
+* `CURL_IMAGE`: curl image to be used in the corresponding arch for metrics tests. Default value: `mirror.gcr.io/curlimages/curl:8.18.0`
 
 ### Launch system tests
 First of all, the code must be compiled and the distribution artifacts created:
diff --git a/kroxylicious-systemtests/src/main/java/io/kroxylicious/systemtests/Environment.java b/kroxylicious-systemtests/src/main/java/io/kroxylicious/systemtests/Environment.java
index 5c8cc0bad8..bb59a28cbe 100644
--- a/kroxylicious-systemtests/src/main/java/io/kroxylicious/systemtests/Environment.java
+++ b/kroxylicious-systemtests/src/main/java/io/kroxylicious/systemtests/Environment.java
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ private Environment() {
     private static final boolean SYNC_RESOURCES_DELETION_DEFAULT = false;
     private static final String ARCHITECTURE_DEFAULT = System.getProperty("os.arch");
     private static final String KROXYLICIOUS_OPERATOR_INSTALL_DIR_DEFAULT = System.getProperty("user.dir") + "/target/kroxylicious-operator-dist/install/";
-    public static final String CURL_IMAGE_DEFAULT = Constants.DOCKER_REGISTRY_GCR_MIRROR + "/curlimages/curl:8.17.0";
+    public static final String CURL_IMAGE_DEFAULT = Constants.DOCKER_REGISTRY_GCR_MIRROR + "/curlimages/curl:8.18.0";
 
     public static final String KAFKA_VERSION = ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.getOrDefault(KAFKA_VERSION_ENV, KAFKA_VERSION_DEFAULT);
     public static final String KROXYLICIOUS_OPERATOR_VERSION = ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.getOrDefault(KROXYLICIOUS_OPERATOR_VERSION_ENV, KROXYLICIOUS_VERSION_DEFAULT);