diff --git a/java-secretmanager/samples/install-without-bom/pom.xml b/java-secretmanager/samples/install-without-bom/pom.xml
index 35393dae8db1..8fafd3a2eb86 100644
--- a/java-secretmanager/samples/install-without-bom/pom.xml
+++ b/java-secretmanager/samples/install-without-bom/pom.xml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.google.protobuf</groupId>
       <artifactId>protobuf-java-util</artifactId>
-      <version>3.20.1</version>
+      <version>3.21.0</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>junit</groupId>
diff --git a/java-secretmanager/samples/snapshot/pom.xml b/java-secretmanager/samples/snapshot/pom.xml
index 7819890f568c..446b9d355da9 100644
--- a/java-secretmanager/samples/snapshot/pom.xml
+++ b/java-secretmanager/samples/snapshot/pom.xml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.google.protobuf</groupId>
       <artifactId>protobuf-java-util</artifactId>
-      <version>3.20.1</version>
+      <version>3.21.0</version>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
diff --git a/java-secretmanager/samples/snippets/pom.xml b/java-secretmanager/samples/snippets/pom.xml
index 6c1dc022cac1..ce65718f453f 100644
--- a/java-secretmanager/samples/snippets/pom.xml
+++ b/java-secretmanager/samples/snippets/pom.xml
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.google.protobuf</groupId>
       <artifactId>protobuf-java-util</artifactId>
-      <version>3.20.1</version>
+      <version>3.21.0</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>junit</groupId>