diff --git a/Tasks/AzureMysqlDeploymentV1/task.json b/Tasks/AzureMysqlDeploymentV1/task.json
index ca023268352e..0788794c76af 100644
--- a/Tasks/AzureMysqlDeploymentV1/task.json
+++ b/Tasks/AzureMysqlDeploymentV1/task.json
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
     "author": "Microsoft Corporation",
     "version": {
         "Major": 1,
-        "Minor": 175,
-        "Patch": 2
+        "Minor": 178,
+        "Patch": 0
     },
     "demands": [],
     "minimumAgentVersion": "1.100.0",
diff --git a/Tasks/AzureMysqlDeploymentV1/task.loc.json b/Tasks/AzureMysqlDeploymentV1/task.loc.json
index d0d704d05452..bf1db91ef123 100644
--- a/Tasks/AzureMysqlDeploymentV1/task.loc.json
+++ b/Tasks/AzureMysqlDeploymentV1/task.loc.json
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
   "author": "Microsoft Corporation",
   "version": {
     "Major": 1,
-    "Minor": 175,
-    "Patch": 2
+    "Minor": 178,
+    "Patch": 0
   },
   "demands": [],
   "minimumAgentVersion": "1.100.0",
diff --git a/Tasks/AzureRmWebAppDeploymentV4/task.json b/Tasks/AzureRmWebAppDeploymentV4/task.json
index 6014d78328fc..04edf8bcbb30 100644
--- a/Tasks/AzureRmWebAppDeploymentV4/task.json
+++ b/Tasks/AzureRmWebAppDeploymentV4/task.json
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     "version": {
         "Major": 4,
         "Minor": 178,
-        "Patch": 0
+        "Patch": 1
     },
     "releaseNotes": "What's new in version 4.*<br />Supports Zip Deploy, Run From Package, War Deploy [Details here](https://aka.ms/appServiceDeploymentMethods)<br />Supports App Service Environments<br />Improved UI for discovering different App service types supported by the task<br/>Run From Package is the preferred deployment method, which makes files in wwwroot folder read-only<br/>Click [here](https://aka.ms/azurermwebdeployreadme) for more information.",
     "minimumAgentVersion": "2.104.1",
diff --git a/Tasks/AzureRmWebAppDeploymentV4/task.loc.json b/Tasks/AzureRmWebAppDeploymentV4/task.loc.json
index 5f866f80425f..f19067080fe8 100644
--- a/Tasks/AzureRmWebAppDeploymentV4/task.loc.json
+++ b/Tasks/AzureRmWebAppDeploymentV4/task.loc.json
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   "version": {
     "Major": 4,
     "Minor": 178,
-    "Patch": 0
+    "Patch": 1
   },
   "releaseNotes": "ms-resource:loc.releaseNotes",
   "minimumAgentVersion": "2.104.1",
diff --git a/Tasks/Common/webdeployment-common-v2/xdttransformationutility.ts b/Tasks/Common/webdeployment-common-v2/xdttransformationutility.ts
index 9c672faa7b2e..d48851bfa382 100644
--- a/Tasks/Common/webdeployment-common-v2/xdttransformationutility.ts
+++ b/Tasks/Common/webdeployment-common-v2/xdttransformationutility.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import trm = require('azure-pipelines-task-lib/toolrunner');
 import path = require('path');
 
 export function expandWildcardPattern(folderPath: string, wildcardPattern : string) {
-    var matchingFiles = tl.findMatch(folderPath, wildcardPattern);
+    var matchingFiles = tl.findMatch(folderPath, wildcardPattern,   { followSymbolicLinks: false, allowBrokenSymbolicLinks: false, followSpecifiedSymbolicLink: false });
     var filesList = {};
     for (let i = 0; i < matchingFiles.length; i++) {
         matchingFiles[i] = matchingFiles[i].replace(/\//g, '\\');
diff --git a/Tasks/FileTransformV1/task.json b/Tasks/FileTransformV1/task.json
index 6d434e045d17..4ec38efb7f17 100644
--- a/Tasks/FileTransformV1/task.json
+++ b/Tasks/FileTransformV1/task.json
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@
     ],
     "version": {
         "Major": 1,
-        "Minor": 156,
-        "Patch": 10
+        "Minor": 178,
+        "Patch": 0
     },
     "instanceNameFormat": "File Transform: $(Package)",
     "groups": [
diff --git a/Tasks/FileTransformV1/task.loc.json b/Tasks/FileTransformV1/task.loc.json
index e3685e00c145..7cf77c20ba68 100644
--- a/Tasks/FileTransformV1/task.loc.json
+++ b/Tasks/FileTransformV1/task.loc.json
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@
   ],
   "version": {
     "Major": 1,
-    "Minor": 156,
-    "Patch": 10
+    "Minor": 178,
+    "Patch": 0
   },
   "instanceNameFormat": "ms-resource:loc.instanceNameFormat",
   "groups": [
diff --git a/Tasks/FileTransformV2/task.json b/Tasks/FileTransformV2/task.json
index 6983099a1d57..705d408420ce 100644
--- a/Tasks/FileTransformV2/task.json
+++ b/Tasks/FileTransformV2/task.json
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     "version": {
         "Major": 2,
         "Minor": 0,
-        "Patch": 8
+        "Patch": 9
     },
     "preview": "true",
     "releaseNotes": "More optimized task fields that allow users to enable any/all of the transformation (XML), variable substitution (JSON and XML) features in a single task instance.</br>Task fails when any of the configured transformation/substitution is NOT applied or when the task is no-op.",
diff --git a/Tasks/FileTransformV2/task.loc.json b/Tasks/FileTransformV2/task.loc.json
index b74635b46189..778979ec9c4a 100644
--- a/Tasks/FileTransformV2/task.loc.json
+++ b/Tasks/FileTransformV2/task.loc.json
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   "version": {
     "Major": 2,
     "Minor": 0,
-    "Patch": 8
+    "Patch": 9
   },
   "preview": "true",
   "releaseNotes": "ms-resource:loc.releaseNotes",
diff --git a/Tasks/IISWebAppDeploymentOnMachineGroupV0/task.json b/Tasks/IISWebAppDeploymentOnMachineGroupV0/task.json
index 88d3a31b7627..4dd4eef9a61a 100644
--- a/Tasks/IISWebAppDeploymentOnMachineGroupV0/task.json
+++ b/Tasks/IISWebAppDeploymentOnMachineGroupV0/task.json
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
     "author": "Microsoft Corporation",
     "version": {
         "Major": 0,
-        "Minor": 156,
-        "Patch": 13
+        "Minor": 178,
+        "Patch": 0
     },
     "demands": [],
     "minimumAgentVersion": "2.104.1",
diff --git a/Tasks/IISWebAppDeploymentOnMachineGroupV0/task.loc.json b/Tasks/IISWebAppDeploymentOnMachineGroupV0/task.loc.json
index 85b9f78cf2c9..c2d9bad61366 100644
--- a/Tasks/IISWebAppDeploymentOnMachineGroupV0/task.loc.json
+++ b/Tasks/IISWebAppDeploymentOnMachineGroupV0/task.loc.json
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
   "author": "Microsoft Corporation",
   "version": {
     "Major": 0,
-    "Minor": 156,
-    "Patch": 13
+    "Minor": 178,
+    "Patch": 0
   },
   "demands": [],
   "minimumAgentVersion": "2.104.1",
diff --git a/Tasks/MysqlDeploymentOnMachineGroupV1/task.json b/Tasks/MysqlDeploymentOnMachineGroupV1/task.json
index 3bfd28ac3b98..3cbc86bd625a 100644
--- a/Tasks/MysqlDeploymentOnMachineGroupV1/task.json
+++ b/Tasks/MysqlDeploymentOnMachineGroupV1/task.json
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
     "author": "Microsoft Corporation",
     "version": {
         "Major": 1,
-        "Minor": 156,
-        "Patch": 11
+        "Minor": 178,
+        "Patch": 0
     },
     "demands": [],
     "minimumAgentVersion": "1.100.0",
diff --git a/Tasks/MysqlDeploymentOnMachineGroupV1/task.loc.json b/Tasks/MysqlDeploymentOnMachineGroupV1/task.loc.json
index 2d73c6ce8fdd..282dff0c703e 100644
--- a/Tasks/MysqlDeploymentOnMachineGroupV1/task.loc.json
+++ b/Tasks/MysqlDeploymentOnMachineGroupV1/task.loc.json
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
   "author": "Microsoft Corporation",
   "version": {
     "Major": 1,
-    "Minor": 156,
-    "Patch": 11
+    "Minor": 178,
+    "Patch": 0
   },
   "demands": [],
   "minimumAgentVersion": "1.100.0",