diff --git a/gradle/dependencies.gradle b/gradle/dependencies.gradle
index a44cc95bcdcfb..25cf854528f8b 100644
--- a/gradle/dependencies.gradle
+++ b/gradle/dependencies.gradle
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ versions += [
   kafka_39: "3.9.2",
   kafka_40: "4.0.1",
   kafka_41: "4.1.2",
-  kafka_42: "4.2.0",
+  kafka_42: "4.2.1",
   kafka_43: "4.3.0",
   log4j2: "2.25.4",
   // When updating lz4 make sure the compression levels in org.apache.kafka.common.record.internal.CompressionType are still valid
diff --git a/tests/docker/Dockerfile b/tests/docker/Dockerfile
index bd627f4f56355..edab71a87798d 100644
--- a/tests/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/tests/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ RUN mkdir -p "/opt/kafka-3.8.1" && chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-3.8.1 && curl -s "$KAFK
 RUN mkdir -p "/opt/kafka-3.9.2" && chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-3.9.2 && curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka_2.13-3.9.2.tgz" | tar xz --strip-components=1 -C "/opt/kafka-3.9.2"
 RUN mkdir -p "/opt/kafka-4.0.1" && chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.0.1 && curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka_2.13-4.0.1.tgz" | tar xz --strip-components=1 -C "/opt/kafka-4.0.1"
 RUN mkdir -p "/opt/kafka-4.1.2" && chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.1.2 && curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka_2.13-4.1.2.tgz" | tar xz --strip-components=1 -C "/opt/kafka-4.1.2"
-RUN mkdir -p "/opt/kafka-4.2.0" && chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.2.0 && curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka_2.13-4.2.0.tgz" | tar xz --strip-components=1 -C "/opt/kafka-4.2.0"
+RUN mkdir -p "/opt/kafka-4.2.1" && chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.2.1 && curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka_2.13-4.2.1.tgz" | tar xz --strip-components=1 -C "/opt/kafka-4.2.1"
 RUN mkdir -p "/opt/kafka-4.3.0" && chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.3.0 && curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka_2.13-4.3.0.tgz" | tar xz --strip-components=1 -C "/opt/kafka-4.3.0"
 
 
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ RUN curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka-streams-3.8.1-test.jar" -o /opt/kafka-3.8.1/lib
 RUN curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka-streams-3.9.2-test.jar" -o /opt/kafka-3.9.2/libs/kafka-streams-3.9.2-test.jar
 RUN curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka-streams-4.0.1-test.jar" -o /opt/kafka-4.0.1/libs/kafka-streams-4.0.1-test.jar
 RUN curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka-streams-4.1.2-test.jar" -o /opt/kafka-4.1.2/libs/kafka-streams-4.1.2-test.jar
-RUN curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka-streams-4.2.0-test.jar" -o /opt/kafka-4.2.0/libs/kafka-streams-4.2.0-test.jar
+RUN curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka-streams-4.2.1-test.jar" -o /opt/kafka-4.2.1/libs/kafka-streams-4.2.1-test.jar
 RUN curl -s "$KAFKA_MIRROR/kafka-streams-4.3.0-test.jar" -o /opt/kafka-4.3.0/libs/kafka-streams-4.3.0-test.jar
 
 # To ensure the Kafka cluster starts successfully under JDK 17, we need to update the Zookeeper 
diff --git a/tests/kafkatest/version.py b/tests/kafkatest/version.py
index 46d85fb95e7a9..880a1d764708e 100644
--- a/tests/kafkatest/version.py
+++ b/tests/kafkatest/version.py
@@ -256,7 +256,8 @@ def get_version(node=None):
 
 # 4.2.x version
 V_4_2_0 = KafkaVersion("4.2.0")
-LATEST_4_2 = V_4_2_0
+V_4_2_1 = KafkaVersion("4.2.1")
+LATEST_4_2 = V_4_2_1
 
 # 4.3.x version
 V_4_3_0 = KafkaVersion("4.3.0")
diff --git a/vagrant/base.sh b/vagrant/base.sh
index e19d0c6c7d7c0..764a72e46e8ef 100755
--- a/vagrant/base.sh
+++ b/vagrant/base.sh
@@ -178,8 +178,8 @@ get_kafka 4.0.1 2.13
 chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.0.1
 get_kafka 4.1.2 2.13
 chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.1.2
-get_kafka 4.2.0 2.13
-chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.2.0
+get_kafka 4.2.1 2.13
+chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.2.1
 get_kafka 4.3.0 2.13
 chmod a+rw /opt/kafka-4.3.0