diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 93367cd1430..e0972d757b7 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
         <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
-        <version>2.5.13</version>
+        <version>2.7.16</version>
         <relativePath />
     </parent>
 
@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>com.querydsl</groupId>
             <artifactId>querydsl-mongodb</artifactId>
+            <exclusions>
+                <!-- exclude outdated mongodb driver -->
+                <exclusion>
+                    <artifactId>mongo-java-driver</artifactId>
+                    <groupId>org.mongodb</groupId>
+                </exclusion>
+            </exclusions>
         </dependency>
         <!-- override jaxb dependencies version of oauth2 -->
         <dependency>
@@ -141,6 +148,13 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>de.flapdoodle.embed</groupId>
             <artifactId>de.flapdoodle.embed.mongo</artifactId>
+            <version>4.9.2</version>
+            <scope>test</scope>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>de.flapdoodle.embed</groupId>
+            <artifactId>de.flapdoodle.embed.mongo.spring27x</artifactId>
+            <version>4.9.2</version>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
@@ -181,7 +195,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.javers</groupId>
             <artifactId>javers-spring-boot-starter-mongo</artifactId>
-            <version>6.5.3</version>
+            <version>6.14.0</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.jsoup</groupId>
@@ -298,7 +312,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.springframework.security.oauth.boot</groupId>
             <artifactId>spring-security-oauth2-autoconfigure</artifactId>
-            <version>2.5.13</version>
+            <version>2.6.8</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.zalando</groupId>
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/filemanagement/rest/FileResource.java b/src/main/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/filemanagement/rest/FileResource.java
index acf47964dfc..60e5daf2847 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/filemanagement/rest/FileResource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/filemanagement/rest/FileResource.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package eu.dzhw.fdz.metadatamanagement.filemanagement.rest;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.net.URLDecoder;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ public class FileResource {
   public ResponseEntity<?> downloadFile(HttpServletRequest request) throws IOException {
     String completePath =
         (String) request.getAttribute(HandlerMapping.PATH_WITHIN_HANDLER_MAPPING_ATTRIBUTE);
-    String fileName = completePath.replaceFirst("/public/files", "");
+    String fileName = URLDecoder.decode(completePath.replaceFirst("/public/files", ""), "UTF-8");
     // find file in grid fs / mongo db
     GridFsResource gridFsFile = this.fileService.findFile(fileName);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/searchmanagement/rest/SearchResource.java b/src/main/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/searchmanagement/rest/SearchResource.java
index aa5988cc973..e2a979c97c3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/searchmanagement/rest/SearchResource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/searchmanagement/rest/SearchResource.java
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public ResponseEntity<String> search(@RequestBody(required = false) String body,
         (String) request.getAttribute(HandlerMapping.PATH_WITHIN_HANDLER_MAPPING_ATTRIBUTE);
     String queryString = request.getQueryString();
     String path = completePath.replaceFirst("/api/search", "");
-    String url = connectionUrl + path;
+    String url = URLDecoder.decode(connectionUrl + path, "UTF-8");
     if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(queryString)) {
       url = url + "?" + URLDecoder.decode(queryString, "UTF-8");
     }
diff --git a/src/main/resources/config/application.yml b/src/main/resources/config/application.yml
index addfa1664b7..ad486f8a7cc 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/config/application.yml
+++ b/src/main/resources/config/application.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 # ===================================================================
 
 spring:
+    main.allow-circular-references: true
     data:
       rest:
         base-path: /api
diff --git a/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/datasetmanagement/service/DataSetAttachmentShadowCopyServiceTest.java b/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/datasetmanagement/service/DataSetAttachmentShadowCopyServiceTest.java
index 291a2324075..cfb03f480bb 100644
--- a/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/datasetmanagement/service/DataSetAttachmentShadowCopyServiceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/datasetmanagement/service/DataSetAttachmentShadowCopyServiceTest.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
@@ -124,7 +125,8 @@ public void createShadowCopyWithSameReleaseVersion() throws Exception {
         dataAcquisitionProject.getRelease(), "1.0.0");
 
     List<GridFSFile> files = new ArrayList<>();
-    gridFsOperations.find(new Query()).forEach(files::add);
+    gridFsOperations.find(new Query())
+        .forEach((Consumer<? super GridFSFile>) (GridFSFile f) -> files.add(f));
 
     assertThat(files.size(), equalTo(2));
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/instrumentmanagement/service/InstrumentAttachmentShadowCopyServiceTest.java b/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/instrumentmanagement/service/InstrumentAttachmentShadowCopyServiceTest.java
index d741b6c1e9b..28788c72317 100644
--- a/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/instrumentmanagement/service/InstrumentAttachmentShadowCopyServiceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/instrumentmanagement/service/InstrumentAttachmentShadowCopyServiceTest.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
@@ -124,7 +125,8 @@ public void createShadowCopyWithSameReleaseVersion() throws Exception {
         dataAcquisitionProject.getRelease(), "1.0.0");
 
     List<GridFSFile> files = new ArrayList<>();
-    gridFsOperations.find(new Query()).forEach(files::add);
+    gridFsOperations.find(new Query())
+        .forEach((Consumer<? super GridFSFile>) (GridFSFile f) -> files.add(f));
 
     assertThat(files.size(), equalTo(2));
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/questionmanagement/service/QuestionImageShadowCopyServiceTest.java b/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/questionmanagement/service/QuestionImageShadowCopyServiceTest.java
index e52b083e072..095129bd391 100644
--- a/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/questionmanagement/service/QuestionImageShadowCopyServiceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/eu/dzhw/fdz/metadatamanagement/questionmanagement/service/QuestionImageShadowCopyServiceTest.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
@@ -125,7 +126,8 @@ public void createShadowCopyWithSameReleaseVersion() throws Exception {
         dataAcquisitionProject.getRelease(), "1.0.0");
 
     List<GridFSFile> files = new ArrayList<>();
-    gridFsOperations.find(new Query()).forEach(files::add);
+    gridFsOperations.find(new Query())
+        .forEach((Consumer<? super GridFSFile>) (GridFSFile f) -> files.add(f));
 
     assertThat(files.size(), equalTo(2));
 
diff --git a/src/test/resources/config/application.yml b/src/test/resources/config/application.yml
index 5ef1ef3ec3d..a08e8b05b64 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/config/application.yml
+++ b/src/test/resources/config/application.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 # JHipster specific properties
 # ===================================================================
 
+# properties specific to spring boot upgrade from 2.5 to 2.7
+spring.main.allow-circular-references: true
+spring.mongodb.embedded.version: 4.2.13
+de.flapdoodle.mongodb.embedded.version: 4.2.13
+
 spring:
     data:
        rest: