diff --git a/.github/workflows/vector-plugins.yml b/.github/workflows/vector-plugins.yml
index f02ac052e0..cc57e97ffd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/vector-plugins.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/vector-plugins.yml
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           EXTRA_JAVA_TEST_ARGS=$(./mvnw help:evaluate -Dexpression=extraJavaTestArgs -q -DforceStdout)
           export MAVEN_OPTS="$MAVEN_OPTS $EXTRA_JAVA_TEST_ARGS"
-          ./mvnw install --batch-mode -Pvector-plugins -DskipTests=true -Dmaven.javadoc.skip=true -Dsource.skip=true -Djava.version=${{ matrix.java }} -pl parquet-plugins/parquet-encoding-vector,parquet-plugins/parquet-plugins-benchmarks -am
+          ./mvnw install --batch-mode -Pvector-plugins -DskipTests=true -Dmaven.javadoc.skip=true -Dsource.skip=true -Dmaven.buildNumber.skip=true -Djava.version=${{ matrix.java }} -pl parquet-plugins/parquet-encoding-vector,parquet-plugins/parquet-plugins-benchmarks -am
       - name: verify
         env:
           TEST_CODECS: ${{ matrix.codes }}
diff --git a/parquet-cli/pom.xml b/parquet-cli/pom.xml
index 17a508e8a0..3c7a9b2b69 100644
--- a/parquet-cli/pom.xml
+++ b/parquet-cli/pom.xml
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.google.protobuf</groupId>
       <artifactId>protobuf-java</artifactId>
-      <version>3.25.6</version>
+      <version>4.33.1</version>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
diff --git a/parquet-protobuf/pom.xml b/parquet-protobuf/pom.xml
index ace4b63001..5c202c150a 100644
--- a/parquet-protobuf/pom.xml
+++ b/parquet-protobuf/pom.xml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
   <properties>
     <elephant-bird.version>4.4</elephant-bird.version>
-    <protobuf.version>3.25.6</protobuf.version>
+    <protobuf.version>4.33.1</protobuf.version>
     <common-protos.version>2.59.2</common-protos.version>  <!-- make sure it's compatible with protobuf.version -->
     <truth-proto-extension.version>1.4.4</truth-proto-extension.version>
   </properties>
diff --git a/parquet-protobuf/src/test/java/org/apache/parquet/proto/TestUtils.java b/parquet-protobuf/src/test/java/org/apache/parquet/proto/TestUtils.java
index b41024462c..cb06ef3024 100644
--- a/parquet-protobuf/src/test/java/org/apache/parquet/proto/TestUtils.java
+++ b/parquet-protobuf/src/test/java/org/apache/parquet/proto/TestUtils.java
@@ -85,14 +85,14 @@ public static <T extends MessageOrBuilder> List<T> testData(T... messages) throw
     List<Message> outputAsMessages = asMessages(output);
     Descriptors.Descriptor messageDescriptor =
         Protobufs.getMessageDescriptor(asMessage(messages[0]).getClass());
-    Descriptors.FileDescriptor.Syntax syntax = messageDescriptor.getFile().getSyntax();
+    String syntax = messageDescriptor.getFile().toProto().getSyntax();
     for (int i = 0; i < messages.length; i++) {
-      if (Descriptors.FileDescriptor.Syntax.PROTO2.equals(syntax)) {
+      if (!"proto3".equals(syntax)) {
         com.google.common.truth.extensions.proto.ProtoTruth.assertThat(outputAsMessages.get(i))
             .ignoringRepeatedFieldOrder()
             .reportingMismatchesOnly()
             .isEqualTo(asMessage(messages[i]));
-      } else if (Descriptors.FileDescriptor.Syntax.PROTO3.equals(syntax)) {
+      } else if ("proto3".equals(syntax)) {
         // proto3 will return default values for absent fields which is what is returned in output
         // this is why we can ignore absent fields here
         com.google.common.truth.extensions.proto.ProtoTruth.assertThat(outputAsMessages.get(i))