diff --git a/versions.yaml b/versions.yaml
index 2349e940d7..137385b85f 100644
--- a/versions.yaml
+++ b/versions.yaml
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ 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)"