diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 465c07f508..4031972be2 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -72,13 +72,13 @@ executors:
     docker:
       - image: docker-adobe-cif-release.dr-uw2.adobeitc.com/circleci-qp:6.4.6-openjdk11
         <<: *docker_auth
-      - image: docker-adobe-cif-release.dr-uw2.adobeitc.com/circleci-aem-cloudready:9398-openjdk11
+      - image: docker-adobe-cif-release.dr-uw2.adobeitc.com/circleci-aem-cloudready:14227-openjdk11
         <<: *docker_auth
   test_executor_655:
     docker:
       - image: docker-adobe-cif-release.dr-uw2.adobeitc.com/circleci-qp:6.4.6-openjdk11
         <<: *docker_auth
-      - image: docker-adobe-cif-release.dr-uw2.adobeitc.com/circleci-aem:6.5.8-openjdk11
+      - image: docker-adobe-cif-release.dr-uw2.adobeitc.com/circleci-aem:6.5.18.0-openjdk11
         <<: *docker_auth
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/bundles/core/pom.xml b/bundles/core/pom.xml
index aa0bc61b6c..bcfd35d7b2 100644
--- a/bundles/core/pom.xml
+++ b/bundles/core/pom.xml
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
                         <!-- Enable processing of OSGI metatype annotations -->
                         <_metatypeannotations>*</_metatypeannotations>
                         <Import-Package>
+                            com.adobe.cq.dam.cfm.content;version="[1.1.0,2)",
                             javax.annotation;version=0.0.0,
                             !org.apache.sling.sitemap.*,
                             !com.adobe.aem.wcm.seo.*,
@@ -368,6 +369,10 @@
             <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
             <artifactId>commons-collections4</artifactId>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
+            <artifactId>commons-text</artifactId>
+        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
             <artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
@@ -528,7 +533,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>com.google.code.gson</groupId>
             <artifactId>gson</artifactId>
-            <version>2.8.5</version>
+            <version>2.8.9</version>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
diff --git a/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImpl.java b/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImpl.java
index f6f6993203..3f3e7d3e83 100644
--- a/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImpl.java
+++ b/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImpl.java
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@
 @Model(
     adaptables = SlingHttpServletRequest.class,
     adapters = { FeaturedCategoryList.class, ComponentExporter.class },
-    resourceType = com.adobe.cq.commerce.core.components.internal.models.v1.categorylist.FeaturedCategoryListImpl.RESOURCE_TYPE)
+    resourceType = {
+        com.adobe.cq.commerce.core.components.internal.models.v1.categorylist.FeaturedCategoryListImpl.RESOURCE_TYPE,
+        "core/cif/components/commerce/categorycarousel/v1/categorycarousel"
+    })
 @Exporter(
     name = ExporterConstants.SLING_MODEL_EXPORTER_NAME,
     extensions = ExporterConstants.SLING_MODEL_EXTENSION)
diff --git a/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/services/CommerceLinksTransformerFactory.java b/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/services/CommerceLinksTransformerFactory.java
index 4d579e065c..fdbf7d4f88 100644
--- a/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/services/CommerceLinksTransformerFactory.java
+++ b/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/services/CommerceLinksTransformerFactory.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.text.StringEscapeUtils;
 import org.apache.sling.api.SlingHttpServletRequest;
 import org.apache.sling.rewriter.DefaultTransformer;
 import org.apache.sling.rewriter.ProcessingComponentConfiguration;
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ public void startElement(String uri, String localName, String qName, Attributes
                     linkInfo = new LinkInfo(urlProvider.toProductUrl(request, currentPage, productSku));
                 }
             } else {
-                String categoryUid = attributes.getValue(ATTR_CATEGORY_UID);
+                String categoryUid = StringEscapeUtils.unescapeHtml4(attributes.getValue(ATTR_CATEGORY_UID));
                 if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(categoryUid)) {
                     Page currentPage = request.getResourceResolver().adaptTo(PageManager.class).getContainingPage(request.getResource());
                     if (replaceText) {
diff --git a/examples/bundle/pom.xml b/examples/bundle/pom.xml
index 7b3d97071a..ec3df724fb 100644
--- a/examples/bundle/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/bundle/pom.xml
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>com.google.code.gson</groupId>
             <artifactId>gson</artifactId>
-            <version>2.8.5</version>
+            <version>2.8.9</version>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
diff --git a/it/http/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/it/http/ProductComponentIT.java b/it/http/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/it/http/ProductComponentIT.java
index 1e53fbd5b5..a18e155a44 100644
--- a/it/http/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/it/http/ProductComponentIT.java
+++ b/it/http/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/it/http/ProductComponentIT.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public void testProductPageWithSampleData65() throws Exception {
             doc -> doc.select("meta[name=keywords]").first().attr("content"), "Meta keywords for Chaz Kangeroo Hoodie",
             doc -> doc.select("meta[name=description]").first().attr("content"), "Meta description for Chaz Kangeroo Hoodie",
             // 6.5.8 uses the externalizer author link to create the canonical link
-            doc -> doc.select("link[rel=canonical]").first().attr("href"), "http://localhost:4502" + pagePath));
+            doc -> doc.select("link[rel=canonical]").first().attr("href"), pagePath));
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/it/http/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/it/http/ProductListComponentIT.java b/it/http/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/it/http/ProductListComponentIT.java
index fde066140a..e55e46ba6d 100644
--- a/it/http/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/it/http/ProductListComponentIT.java
+++ b/it/http/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/it/http/ProductListComponentIT.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public void testProductListPageWithSampleData65() throws Exception {
             doc -> doc.select("meta[name=keywords]").first().attr("content"), "Meta keywords for Outdoor Collection",
             doc -> doc.select("meta[name=description]").first().attr("content"), "Meta description for Outdoor Collection",
             // 6.5.8 uses the externalizer author link to create the canonical link
-            doc -> doc.select("link[rel=canonical]").first().attr("href"), "http://localhost:4502" + pagePath));
+            doc -> doc.select("link[rel=canonical]").first().attr("href"), pagePath));
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/parent/pom.xml b/parent/pom.xml
index e7d9261ef9..8a68f3281a 100644
--- a/parent/pom.xml
+++ b/parent/pom.xml
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>com.adobe.aem</groupId>
                 <artifactId>uber-jar</artifactId>
-                <version>6.5.8</version>
+                <version>6.5.18</version>
                 <scope>provided</scope>
             </dependency>
 
@@ -1007,6 +1007,12 @@
                 <version>${core.wcm.components.version}</version>
                 <scope>provided</scope>
             </dependency>
+            <dependency>
+                <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
+                <artifactId>commons-text</artifactId>
+                <version>1.10.0</version>
+                <scope>provided</scope>
+            </dependency>
 
             <!-- Testing -->
             <dependency>