diff --git a/annotations/annotation-processing/pom.xml b/annotations/annotation-processing/pom.xml
index 6d07394b87..e88e441b3e 100644
--- a/annotations/annotation-processing/pom.xml
+++ b/annotations/annotation-processing/pom.xml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
     <properties>
         <auto-service.version>1.0-rc2</auto-service.version>
-        <maven-compiler-plugin.version>3.5.1</maven-compiler-plugin.version>
+        <maven-compiler-plugin.version>3.6.0</maven-compiler-plugin.version>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/annotations/annotation-user/pom.xml b/annotations/annotation-user/pom.xml
index f76f691f93..a365f35c11 100644
--- a/annotations/annotation-user/pom.xml
+++ b/annotations/annotation-user/pom.xml
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@
 
     <artifactId>annotation-user</artifactId>
 
+    <properties>
+        <junit.version>4.12</junit.version>
+        <maven-compiler-plugin.version>3.6.0</maven-compiler-plugin.version>        
+    </properties>
+    
     <dependencies>
 
         <dependency>
@@ -24,7 +29,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>junit</groupId>
             <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
-            <version>4.12</version>
+            <version>${junit.version}</version>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
 
@@ -37,7 +42,7 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>3.5.1</version>
+                <version>${maven-compiler-plugin.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <source>1.8</source>
                     <target>1.8</target>
diff --git a/apache-cxf/cxf-introduction/pom.xml b/apache-cxf/cxf-introduction/pom.xml
index 0902bd690e..6e0ceaba7e 100644
--- a/apache-cxf/cxf-introduction/pom.xml
+++ b/apache-cxf/cxf-introduction/pom.xml
@@ -4,15 +4,18 @@
     xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
     <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
     <artifactId>cxf-introduction</artifactId>
+    
     <parent>
         <groupId>com.baeldung</groupId>
         <artifactId>apache-cxf</artifactId>
         <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
     </parent>
+    
     <properties>
-        <cxf.version>3.1.6</cxf.version>
+        <cxf.version>3.1.8</cxf.version>
         <surefire.version>2.19.1</surefire.version>        
     </properties>
+    
     <build>
         <plugins>
             <plugin>
@@ -24,7 +27,7 @@
             </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>2.19.1</version>
+                <version>${surefire.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <excludes>
                         <exclude>**/*LiveTest.java</exclude>
@@ -33,6 +36,7 @@
             </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
+    
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.cxf</groupId>
diff --git a/apache-cxf/cxf-jaxrs-implementation/pom.xml b/apache-cxf/cxf-jaxrs-implementation/pom.xml
index b3a81aef82..c3095be5a5 100644
--- a/apache-cxf/cxf-jaxrs-implementation/pom.xml
+++ b/apache-cxf/cxf-jaxrs-implementation/pom.xml
@@ -4,17 +4,20 @@
     xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
     <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
     <artifactId>cxf-jaxrs-implementation</artifactId>
+    
     <parent>
         <groupId>com.baeldung</groupId>
         <artifactId>apache-cxf</artifactId>
         <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
     </parent>
+    
     <properties>
         <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
-        <cxf.version>3.1.7</cxf.version>
+        <cxf.version>3.1.8</cxf.version>
         <httpclient.version>4.5.2</httpclient.version>
         <surefire.version>2.19.1</surefire.version>        
     </properties>
+    
     <build>
         <plugins>
             <plugin>
@@ -26,7 +29,7 @@
             </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>2.19.1</version>
+                <version>${surefire.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <excludes>
                         <exclude>**/*LiveTest.java</exclude>
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@
             </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
+    
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.cxf</groupId>
diff --git a/apache-cxf/cxf-spring/pom.xml b/apache-cxf/cxf-spring/pom.xml
index 8f1dee965a..79a7650ced 100644
--- a/apache-cxf/cxf-spring/pom.xml
+++ b/apache-cxf/cxf-spring/pom.xml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>javax.servlet</groupId>
             <artifactId>javax.servlet-api</artifactId>
-            <version>3.1.0</version>
+            <version>${javax.servlet-api.version}</version>
         </dependency>
     </dependencies>
     
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
         <plugins>
             <plugin>
                 <artifactId>maven-war-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>2.6</version>
+                <version>${maven-war-plugin.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <failOnMissingWebXml>false</failOnMissingWebXml>
                 </configuration>
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
                     <plugin>
                         <groupId>org.codehaus.cargo</groupId>
                         <artifactId>cargo-maven2-plugin</artifactId>
-                        <version>1.4.19</version>
+                        <version>${cargo-maven2-plugin.version}</version>
                         <configuration>
                             <container>
                                 <containerId>tomcat8x</containerId>
@@ -121,9 +121,13 @@
     </profiles>
     
     <properties>
-        <cxf.version>3.1.6</cxf.version>
-        <spring.version>4.3.1.RELEASE</spring.version>
+        <cxf.version>3.1.8</cxf.version>
+        <spring.version>4.3.4.RELEASE</spring.version>
+        <javax.servlet-api.version>3.1.0</javax.servlet-api.version>
+        
+        <maven-war-plugin.version>2.6</maven-war-plugin.version>        
         <surefire.version>2.19.1</surefire.version>
+        <cargo-maven2-plugin.version>1.6.1</cargo-maven2-plugin.version>        
     </properties>
     
 </project>
diff --git a/apache-cxf/pom.xml b/apache-cxf/pom.xml
index af7949bb6c..d407527c51 100644
--- a/apache-cxf/pom.xml
+++ b/apache-cxf/pom.xml
@@ -5,19 +5,28 @@
     <artifactId>apache-cxf</artifactId>
     <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <packaging>pom</packaging>
+    
     <modules>
         <module>cxf-introduction</module>
         <module>cxf-spring</module>
         <module>cxf-jaxrs-implementation</module>
     </modules>
+    
+    <properties>
+        <junit.version>4.12</junit.version>
+        <maven-compiler-plugin.version>3.6.0</maven-compiler-plugin.version>
+        <exec-maven-plugin.version>1.5.0</exec-maven-plugin.version>
+    </properties>
+    
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>junit</groupId>
             <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
-            <version>4.12</version>
+            <version>${junit.version}</version>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
     </dependencies>
+    
     <build>
         <defaultGoal>install</defaultGoal>
         <pluginManagement>
@@ -25,7 +34,7 @@
                 <plugin>
                     <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                     <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-                    <version>3.5.1</version>
+                    <version>${maven-compiler-plugin.version}</version>
                     <configuration>
                         <source>1.8</source>
                         <target>1.8</target>
@@ -34,7 +43,7 @@
                 <plugin>
                     <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
                     <artifactId>exec-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                    <version>1.5.0</version>
+                    <version>${exec-maven-plugin.version}</version>
                 </plugin>
             </plugins>
         </pluginManagement>