diff --git a/.github/actions/build-backend/action.yml b/.github/actions/build-backend/action.yml
index 770e86c4d..77e7b6455 100644
--- a/.github/actions/build-backend/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/build-backend/action.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ runs:
     - name: Setup .NET
       uses: actions/setup-dotnet@2016bd2012dba4e32de620c46fe006a3ac9f0602 # v5.0.1
       with:
-        dotnet-version: '10'
+        dotnet-version: '10.0.401'
 
     - name: Restore dependencies
       shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_package-linux-standalone.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_package-linux-standalone.yml
index 39b34803b..7f40b8109 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_package-linux-standalone.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_package-linux-standalone.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup .NET
         uses: actions/setup-dotnet@a98b56852c35b8e3190ac28c8c2271da59106c68 # v6.0.0
         with:
-          dotnet-version: '10'
+          dotnet-version: '10.0.401'
 
       - name: Setup pnpm
         uses: pnpm/action-setup@ea17c68df8912ef543352723c149a84f56e3d413 # v6.1.0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_package-macos-standalone.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_package-macos-standalone.yml
index a5a1e054c..7e382b482 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_package-macos-standalone.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_package-macos-standalone.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup .NET
         uses: actions/setup-dotnet@a98b56852c35b8e3190ac28c8c2271da59106c68 # v6.0.0
         with:
-          dotnet-version: '10'
+          dotnet-version: '10.0.401'
 
       - name: Setup pnpm
         uses: pnpm/action-setup@ea17c68df8912ef543352723c149a84f56e3d413 # v6.1.0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_sbom.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_sbom.yml
index bab571fa2..05d682379 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_sbom.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_sbom.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup .NET
         uses: actions/setup-dotnet@a98b56852c35b8e3190ac28c8c2271da59106c68 # v6.0.0
         with:
-          dotnet-version: "10.0.x"
+          dotnet-version: "10.0.401"
 
       - name: Setup pnpm
         uses: pnpm/action-setup@ea17c68df8912ef543352723c149a84f56e3d413 # v6.1.0
diff --git a/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend.Tests/Lighthouse.Backend.Tests.csproj b/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend.Tests/Lighthouse.Backend.Tests.csproj
index 786f96dcd..d5705993e 100644
--- a/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend.Tests/Lighthouse.Backend.Tests.csproj
+++ b/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend.Tests/Lighthouse.Backend.Tests.csproj
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<ItemGroup>
-		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Testing" Version="10.0.11" />
+		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Testing" Version="10.0.12" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.SignalR.Client" Version="10.0.12" />
-		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.InMemory" Version="10.0.11" />
+		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.InMemory" Version="10.0.12" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.TimeProvider.Testing" Version="10.10.0" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="18.10.1" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Moq" Version="4.20.72" />
diff --git a/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend.csproj b/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend.csproj
index 06cab5471..0d7c562f9 100644
--- a/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend.csproj
+++ b/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Backend.csproj
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.DataProtection.StackExchangeRedis" Version="10.0.12" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.SignalR.StackExchangeRedis" Version="10.0.12" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.SpaServices.Extensions" Version="10.0.12" />
-		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Build" Version="18.9.6" />
+		<!-- Microsoft.TeamFoundationServer.Client floors this at 6.0.1 while Microsoft.Data.SqlClient needs 8.0.0 or later; a direct reference settles the conflict. -->
+		<PackageReference Include="System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager" Version="10.0.12" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Sqlite" Version="10.0.12" />
 		<!-- Pin transitive SQLitePCLRaw above 2.1.11 to resolve CVE-2025-6965 (GHSA-2m69-gcr7-jv3q); EFCore.Sqlite 10.0.9 still floors it at 2.1.11. -->
 		<PackageReference Include="SQLitePCLRaw.bundle_e_sqlite3" Version="3.0.5" />
diff --git a/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Migrations.Postgres/Lighthouse.Migrations.Postgres.csproj b/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Migrations.Postgres/Lighthouse.Migrations.Postgres.csproj
index b8db71295..811bd9b3d 100644
--- a/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Migrations.Postgres/Lighthouse.Migrations.Postgres.csproj
+++ b/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Migrations.Postgres/Lighthouse.Migrations.Postgres.csproj
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<ItemGroup>
-		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Build" Version="18.9.6" />
-		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Build.Tasks.Core" Version="18.10.1" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" Version="10.0.12" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design" Version="10.0.12">
 			<IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
diff --git a/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Migrations.Sqlite/Lighthouse.Migrations.Sqlite.csproj b/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Migrations.Sqlite/Lighthouse.Migrations.Sqlite.csproj
index f725b0a0c..8a83145f3 100644
--- a/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Migrations.Sqlite/Lighthouse.Migrations.Sqlite.csproj
+++ b/Lighthouse.Backend/Lighthouse.Migrations.Sqlite/Lighthouse.Migrations.Sqlite.csproj
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<ItemGroup>
-		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Build" Version="18.9.6" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design" Version="10.0.12">
 			<IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
 			<PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>