diff --git a/app/composer.json b/app/composer.json
index d1590e56ca..197bb66b06 100644
--- a/app/composer.json
+++ b/app/composer.json
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@
 		"ext-mcrypt": "*",
 		"cakephp/cakephp": "~2.9"
 	},
-	"require-dev": {
-		"phpunit/phpunit": "3.7.*"
-	},
 	"suggest": {
 		"cakephp/cakephp-codesniffer": "Easily check code formatting against the CakePHP coding standards."
 	},
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 6dd6e56677..f1fe7b536e 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -29,12 +29,26 @@
 		"ext-intl": "Required to use IntlDateFormatter instead of strftime, if not Symfony polyfill will be used."
 	},
 	"require-dev": {
-		"phpunit/phpunit": "^9.5",
+		"phpunit/phpunit": "^9.6.33",
 		"cakephp/cakephp-codesniffer": "^1.0.0"
 	},
 	"config": {
 		"vendor-dir": "vendors/",
-		"process-timeout": 0
+		"process-timeout": 0,
+		"policy": {
+			"advisories": {
+				"ignore-id": {
+					"PKSA-6vdd-n4sx-knhy": {
+						"on-audit": false,
+						"reason": "phpcs 1.x arbitrary shell execution (GHSA-mhfv-8rc9-w38c). squizlabs/php_codesniffer is pinned to 1.x by cakephp-codesniffer 1.x (CakePHP2 coding standard), a dev-only tool never shipped to production. Unblocks install only; still reported by composer audit. Temporary exception until a fix is backported."
+					},
+					"CVE-2026-67434": {
+						"on-audit": false,
+						"reason": "phpcs OS command injection (PKSA-rdkp-vv9z-mjkg / GHSA-hmqg-cxww-wqhq). Same rationale as PKSA-6vdd-n4sx-knhy."
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	},
 	"bin": [
 		"lib/Cake/Console/cake"
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Network/Http/HttpSocketTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Network/Http/HttpSocketTest.php
index 07dfb6c87a..cdc45d8e37 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Network/Http/HttpSocketTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Network/Http/HttpSocketTest.php
@@ -1832,21 +1832,107 @@ public function testPartialReset() {
 	}
 
 /**
- * Test that requests fail when peer verification fails.
+ * Test that requests fail when peer verification fails, using a local TLS server with a self-signed certificate.
  *
  * @return void
  */
 	public function testVerifyPeer() {
 		$this->skipIf(!extension_loaded('openssl'), 'OpenSSL is not enabled cannot test SSL.');
-		$socket = new HttpSocket();
+		$this->skipIf(!function_exists('proc_open'), 'proc_open is not available, cannot start the TLS fixture server.');
+
+		$descriptorSpec = array(
+			1 => array('pipe', 'w'),
+			2 => array('pipe', 'w'),
+		);
+		$process = null;
+		$pipes = array();
+		$configFile = null;
+		$pemFile = null;
+		$fixtureInteractionsComplete = false;
+		$processExitCode = null;
+
 		try {
-			$socket->get('https://tv.eurosport.com/');
-			$this->markTestSkipped('Found valid certificate, was expecting invalid certificate.');
-		} catch (SocketException $e) {
-			$message = $e->getMessage();
-			$this->skipIf(strpos($message, 'Invalid HTTP') !== false, 'Invalid HTTP Response received, skipping.');
-			$this->assertStringContainsString('Failed to enable crypto', $message);
+			$configFile = tempnam(sys_get_temp_dir(), 'cake_tls_config_');
+			$pemFile = tempnam(sys_get_temp_dir(), 'cake_tls_');
+			if ($configFile === false || $pemFile === false) {
+				$this->fail('Unable to create the TLS fixture temporary files.');
+			}
+
+			$process = proc_open(
+				array(
+					PHP_BINARY,
+					CAKE . 'Test' . DS . 'test_app' . DS . 'tls_server.php',
+					$configFile,
+					$pemFile,
+				),
+				$descriptorSpec,
+				$pipes
+			);
+			if (!is_resource($process)) {
+				$this->fail('Unable to start the TLS fixture server.');
+			}
+
+			stream_set_timeout($pipes[1], 10);
+			stream_set_blocking($pipes[2], false);
+			$fixture = json_decode(trim((string)fgets($pipes[1])), true);
+			if (!is_array($fixture) || !isset($fixture['port'])) {
+				$stderr = trim((string)stream_get_contents($pipes[2]));
+				$message = 'TLS fixture server did not start.';
+				if ($stderr !== '') {
+					$message .= ' ' . $stderr;
+				}
+				$this->fail($message);
+			}
+
+			$port = (int)$fixture['port'];
+			clearstatcache(true, $pemFile);
+			if ($port < 1 || $port > 65535 || !is_file($pemFile) || filesize($pemFile) < 1) {
+				$this->fail('TLS fixture server returned invalid startup information.');
+			}
+
+			$url = 'https://127.0.0.1:' . $port . '/';
+			$allowSelfSignedSocket = new HttpSocket(array(
+				'timeout' => 10,
+				'ssl_allow_self_signed' => true,
+			));
+			$response = $allowSelfSignedSocket->get($url);
+			$this->assertEquals(200, $response->code, 'The TLS fixture certificate must be valid for 127.0.0.1.');
+
+			$socket = new HttpSocket(array('timeout' => 10));
+			try {
+				$socket->get($url);
+				$this->fail('Peer verification must reject the self-signed certificate, but the request succeeded.');
+			} catch (SocketException $e) {
+				$this->assertStringContainsString('Failed to enable crypto', $e->getMessage());
+			}
+			$fixtureInteractionsComplete = true;
+		} finally {
+			foreach ($pipes as $pipe) {
+				if (is_resource($pipe)) {
+					fclose($pipe);
+				}
+			}
+			if (is_resource($process)) {
+				if (!$fixtureInteractionsComplete) {
+					proc_terminate($process);
+				}
+				$processExitCode = proc_close($process);
+			}
+			foreach (array($configFile, $pemFile) as $temporaryFile) {
+				if (is_string($temporaryFile)) {
+					clearstatcache(true, $temporaryFile);
+					if (is_file($temporaryFile)) {
+						@unlink($temporaryFile);
+					}
+				}
+			}
 		}
+
+		$this->assertEquals(0, $processExitCode, 'TLS fixture server exited with an error.');
+		clearstatcache(true, $configFile);
+		$this->assertFalse(is_file($configFile), 'TLS fixture OpenSSL config file was not removed.');
+		clearstatcache(true, $pemFile);
+		$this->assertFalse(is_file($pemFile), 'TLS fixture certificate file was not removed.');
 	}
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Utility/DebuggerTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Utility/DebuggerTest.php
index a14fd8110b..97d44213e1 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Utility/DebuggerTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Utility/DebuggerTest.php
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public function testExcerpt() {
 		$this->assertTrue(is_array($result));
 		$this->assertEquals(4, count($result));
 
-		$pattern = '/<code>.*?<span style\="color\: \#\d+">.*?&lt;\?php/';
+		$pattern = '/<code(?:\s[^>]*)?>.*?<span style="color: #[0-9A-Fa-f]{6}">.*?&lt;\?php/';
 		$this->assertMatchesRegularExpression($pattern, $result[0]);
 
 		$result = Debugger::excerpt(__FILE__, 11, 2);
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/test_app/tls_server.php b/lib/Cake/Test/test_app/tls_server.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a0d4088879
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/test_app/tls_server.php
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * TLS server fixture
+ *
+ * Helper for HttpSocketTest::testVerifyPeer(). Starts a TLS server on
+ * 127.0.0.1 using a runtime-generated self-signed certificate, so that
+ * peer verification deterministically fails when a client connects to it.
+ *
+ * CakePHP(tm) : Rapid Development Framework (https://cakephp.org)
+ * Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (https://cakefoundation.org)
+ *
+ * Licensed under The MIT License
+ * For full copyright and license information, please see the LICENSE.txt
+ * Redistributions of files must retain the above copyright notice.
+ *
+ * @copyright     Copyright (c) Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (https://cakefoundation.org)
+ * @link          https://cakephp.org CakePHP(tm) Project
+ * @package       Cake.Test.TestApp
+ * @since         CakePHP(tm) v 2.0
+ * @license       https://opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php MIT License
+ */
+
+$server = null;
+$exitCode = 0;
+
+try {
+	if (!isset($argv[1], $argv[2])) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('TLS fixture temporary file paths were not provided.');
+	}
+	$configFile = $argv[1];
+	$pemFile = $argv[2];
+
+	$config = "[ req ]\n" .
+		"distinguished_name = req_distinguished_name\n" .
+		"req_extensions = v3_req\n" .
+		"prompt = no\n" .
+		"\n" .
+		"[ req_distinguished_name ]\n" .
+		"CN = 127.0.0.1\n" .
+		"\n" .
+		"[ v3_req ]\n" .
+		"basicConstraints = CA:FALSE\n" .
+		"keyUsage = critical, digitalSignature, keyEncipherment\n" .
+		"extendedKeyUsage = serverAuth\n" .
+		"subjectAltName = IP:127.0.0.1\n";
+	if (file_put_contents($configFile, $config) === false) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('Unable to write the TLS fixture OpenSSL config file.');
+	}
+
+	$pkey = openssl_pkey_new(array(
+		'config' => $configFile,
+		'private_key_bits' => 2048,
+		'private_key_type' => OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_RSA,
+	));
+	if ($pkey === false) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('Unable to generate the TLS fixture private key.');
+	}
+
+	$csr = openssl_csr_new(
+		array('commonName' => '127.0.0.1'),
+		$pkey,
+		array(
+			'config' => $configFile,
+			'digest_alg' => 'sha256',
+			'req_extensions' => 'v3_req',
+		)
+	);
+	if ($csr === false) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('Unable to generate the TLS fixture certificate request.');
+	}
+
+	$cert = openssl_csr_sign(
+		$csr,
+		null,
+		$pkey,
+		1,
+		array(
+			'config' => $configFile,
+			'digest_alg' => 'sha256',
+			'x509_extensions' => 'v3_req',
+		)
+	);
+	if ($cert === false) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('Unable to sign the TLS fixture certificate.');
+	}
+
+	if (!openssl_x509_export($cert, $certPem) || !openssl_pkey_export($pkey, $keyPem)) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('Unable to export the TLS fixture certificate.');
+	}
+
+	if (file_put_contents($pemFile, $certPem . $keyPem) === false) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('Unable to write the TLS fixture certificate.');
+	}
+
+	$context = stream_context_create(array(
+		'ssl' => array(
+			'local_cert' => $pemFile,
+		),
+	));
+	$server = @stream_socket_server(
+		'tls://127.0.0.1:0',
+		$errNo,
+		$errStr,
+		STREAM_SERVER_BIND | STREAM_SERVER_LISTEN,
+		$context
+	);
+	if ($server === false) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('Unable to start the TLS fixture server: ' . $errStr);
+	}
+
+	$name = stream_socket_get_name($server, false);
+	if ($name === false) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('Unable to read the TLS fixture server address.');
+	}
+	$port = substr($name, strrpos($name, ':') + 1);
+	$startupInfo = json_encode(array(
+		'port' => (int)$port,
+	));
+	if ($startupInfo === false) {
+		throw new RuntimeException('Unable to encode the TLS fixture startup information.');
+	}
+	fwrite(STDOUT, $startupInfo . "\n");
+	fflush(STDOUT);
+
+	for ($i = 0; $i < 2; $i++) {
+		$conn = @stream_socket_accept($server, 10);
+		if (is_resource($conn)) {
+			stream_set_timeout($conn, 10);
+			$request = '';
+			while (!feof($conn) && strpos($request, "\r\n\r\n") === false) {
+				$chunk = fread($conn, 1024);
+				if ($chunk === false) {
+					break;
+				}
+				$request .= $chunk;
+			}
+			fwrite($conn, "HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nContent-Length: 0\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n");
+			fflush($conn);
+			fclose($conn);
+		}
+	}
+} catch (Throwable $e) {
+	fwrite(STDERR, $e->getMessage() . "\n");
+	$exitCode = 1;
+} finally {
+	if (is_resource($server)) {
+		fclose($server);
+	}
+}
+
+exit($exitCode);