diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index fff5e568..f2cedcb1 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/time v0.9.0
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.36.5
 	gopkg.in/evanphx/json-patch.v4 v4.12.0
-	k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20250718010530-b3927ff69476
+	k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20250718010531-33ab3a26f4b3
 	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20250717210244-b92abb2d8139
 	k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1
 	k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20250710124328-f3f2b991d03b
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 140f7e56..c6e4eadf 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -150,8 +150,8 @@ gopkg.in/inf.v0 v0.9.1/go.mod h1:cWUDdTG/fYaXco+Dcufb5Vnc6Gp2YChqWtbxRZE0mXw=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200313102051-9f266ea9e77c/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
-k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20250718010530-b3927ff69476 h1:Aujs/kJa+rquu3rzDmTZmy8qul/yc4fTK1LEAK5QGpg=
-k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20250718010530-b3927ff69476/go.mod h1:K8dwhtttsRR0RHeSRF8XQ77gfMgyAj3q78/TkxEXhoc=
+k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20250718010531-33ab3a26f4b3 h1:UnuyCQyBmdFlYypApF2w6Ld0R0kAt8b+0Lt9dYAr23I=
+k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20250718010531-33ab3a26f4b3/go.mod h1:K8dwhtttsRR0RHeSRF8XQ77gfMgyAj3q78/TkxEXhoc=
 k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20250717210244-b92abb2d8139 h1:jWBClrBPuk+GEA9pJzMa9IvxncSBbw7fmvey15nVm0w=
 k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20250717210244-b92abb2d8139/go.mod h1:v1p1Jsze3IHLy5gU17yVqR2qLO7jgYeX6mw3HZy2AEU=
 k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1 h1:n9Xl7H1Xvksem4KFG4PYbdQCQxqc/tTUyrgXaOhHSzk=
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/client/auth/exec/metrics_test.go b/plugin/pkg/client/auth/exec/metrics_test.go
index 61360abd..bf588dcd 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/client/auth/exec/metrics_test.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/client/auth/exec/metrics_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd/api"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/metrics"
+	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
 )
 
 type mockExpiryGauge struct {
@@ -35,10 +36,6 @@ func (m *mockExpiryGauge) Set(t *time.Time) {
 	m.v = t
 }
 
-func ptr(t time.Time) *time.Time {
-	return &t
-}
-
 func TestCertificateExpirationTracker(t *testing.T) {
 	now := time.Now()
 	mockMetric := &mockExpiryGauge{}
@@ -60,25 +57,25 @@ func TestCertificateExpirationTracker(t *testing.T) {
 			desc: "ttl for one authenticator",
 			auth: firstAuthenticator,
 			time: now.Add(time.Minute * 10),
-			want: ptr(now.Add(time.Minute * 10)),
+			want: ptr.To(now.Add(time.Minute * 10)),
 		},
 		{
 			desc: "second authenticator shorter ttl",
 			auth: secondAuthenticator,
 			time: now.Add(time.Minute * 5),
-			want: ptr(now.Add(time.Minute * 5)),
+			want: ptr.To(now.Add(time.Minute * 5)),
 		},
 		{
 			desc: "update shorter to be longer",
 			auth: secondAuthenticator,
 			time: now.Add(time.Minute * 15),
-			want: ptr(now.Add(time.Minute * 10)),
+			want: ptr.To(now.Add(time.Minute * 10)),
 		},
 		{
 			desc: "update shorter to be zero time",
 			auth: firstAuthenticator,
 			time: time.Time{},
-			want: ptr(now.Add(time.Minute * 15)),
+			want: ptr.To(now.Add(time.Minute * 15)),
 		},
 		{
 			desc: "update last to be zero time records nil",
@@ -194,8 +191,8 @@ func TestCallsMetric(t *testing.T) {
 	callsMetricComparer := cmp.Comparer(func(a, b mockCallsMetric) bool {
 		return a.exitCode == b.exitCode && a.errorType == b.errorType
 	})
-	actuallCallsMetrics := callsMetricCounter.calls
-	if diff := cmp.Diff(wantCallsMetrics, actuallCallsMetrics, callsMetricComparer); diff != "" {
+	actualCallsMetrics := callsMetricCounter.calls
+	if diff := cmp.Diff(wantCallsMetrics, actualCallsMetrics, callsMetricComparer); diff != "" {
 		t.Fatalf("got unexpected metrics calls; -want, +got:\n%s", diff)
 	}
 }