Focused on security maintenance for the rapid7/strimzi-kafka-operator repository, this developer addressed technical debt by removing an obsolete json-path CVE workaround. Working primarily in Go, they identified and eliminated outdated security patches, thereby reducing the maintenance burden and potential security debt within the codebase. Their approach centered on CVE mitigation, ensuring that the operator’s security posture was improved and compliance readiness enhanced. No new features were introduced during this period, as the effort was dedicated to stabilizing the code for production use and simplifying future patching. This work provided a cleaner, more maintainable baseline for upcoming development initiatives.