diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 6cacf49f479..8a1eb56320f 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@
         <mariadb-jdbc.version>3.4.1</mariadb-jdbc.version>
         <mssql.version>2022-latest</mssql.version>
         <!-- this is the mssql driver version also used in the Quarkus BOM -->
-        <mssql-jdbc.version>12.8.1.jre11</mssql-jdbc.version>
+        <mssql-jdbc.version>12.8.2.jre8</mssql-jdbc.version>
         <oracledb.version>19.3</oracledb.version>
         <!-- this is the oracle driver version also used in the Quarkus BOM -->
         <oracle-jdbc.version>23.5.0.24.07</oracle-jdbc.version>
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@
         </developer>
     </developers>
 
-    <contributors></contributors>
+    <contributors/>
 
     <modules>
         <module>boms</module>