diff --git a/versions.yaml b/versions.yaml
index ab752cf41d..7a4ff639f9 100644
--- a/versions.yaml
+++ b/versions.yaml
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ externals:
     # containerd from v1.5.0 used the path unix socket
     # instead of abstract socket, thus kata wouldn's support the containerd's
     # version older than them.
-    version: "v1.5.2"
+    version: "v1.6.8"
 
   critools:
     description: "CLI tool for Container Runtime Interface (CRI)"