diff --git a/.github/workflows/pre-submit.lint.yml b/.github/workflows/pre-submit.lint.yml
index 86293b1791..76eca508ae 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pre-submit.lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pre-submit.lint.yml
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ jobs:
         with:
           go-version-file: "go.mod"
       - env:
-          GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION: "1.60.3"
-          GOLANGCI_LINT_CHECKSUM: "4037af8122871f401ed874852a471e54f147ff8ce80f5a304e020503bdb806ef"
+          GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION: "1.61.0"
+          GOLANGCI_LINT_CHECKSUM: "77cb0af99379d9a21d5dc8c38364d060e864a01bd2f3e30b5e8cc550c3a54111"
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
 
diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index 2459527c5f..6224688138 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ linters:
     # TODO(github.com/slsa-framework/slsa-github-generator/issues/450): enable errorlint
     # - errorlint
     - exhaustive
-    - exportloopref
+    - copyloopvar
     # TODO(github.com/slsa-framework/slsa-github-generator/issues/450): enable gci
     # - gci
     - gochecknoinits
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 2a778d3515..e1e226b054 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/slsa-framework/slsa-github-generator
 
-go 1.22.5
-
-toolchain go1.23.0
+go 1.23.1
 
 require (
 	github.com/coreos/go-oidc/v3 v3.11.0
diff --git a/internal/builders/go/e2e-presubmits/go.mod b/internal/builders/go/e2e-presubmits/go.mod
index fddbfea4a0..63b25762cd 100644
--- a/internal/builders/go/e2e-presubmits/go.mod
+++ b/internal/builders/go/e2e-presubmits/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module slsa-framework/example-package
 
-go 1.21
+go 1.23.1
 
 require github.com/pborman/uuid v1.2.1
 
diff --git a/internal/builders/go/main_test.go b/internal/builders/go/main_test.go
index 0d478a9511..f1a692b524 100644
--- a/internal/builders/go/main_test.go
+++ b/internal/builders/go/main_test.go
@@ -298,7 +298,6 @@ func Test_runBuild(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			// *** WARNING: do not enable t.Parallel(), because we're writing to environment variables ***.
 			file, err := os.CreateTemp("", "")
diff --git a/internal/builders/go/pkg/build_test.go b/internal/builders/go/pkg/build_test.go
index 4673a6683f..3448e27d71 100644
--- a/internal/builders/go/pkg/build_test.go
+++ b/internal/builders/go/pkg/build_test.go
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ func Test_isAllowedEnvVariable(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
@@ -126,7 +125,6 @@ func Test_getOutputBinaryPath(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
@@ -177,7 +175,6 @@ func Test_isAllowedArg(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
@@ -442,7 +439,6 @@ func Test_generateOutputFilename(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			// Note: disable parallelism to avoid env variable clobbering between tests.
 			// t.Parallel()
@@ -595,7 +591,6 @@ func Test_SetArgEnvVariables(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
@@ -704,7 +699,6 @@ func Test_generateEnvVariables(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
@@ -862,7 +856,6 @@ func Test_generateLdflags(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			// Disable to avoid env clobbering between tests.
 			// t.Parallel()
@@ -954,7 +947,6 @@ func Test_generateFlags(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
@@ -1024,7 +1016,6 @@ func Test_generateCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/internal/builders/go/pkg/config_test.go b/internal/builders/go/pkg/config_test.go
index 270c242e03..88180aaac4 100644
--- a/internal/builders/go/pkg/config_test.go
+++ b/internal/builders/go/pkg/config_test.go
@@ -185,7 +185,6 @@ func Test_ConfigFromFile(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/internal/builders/go/pkg/testdata/go/go.mod b/internal/builders/go/pkg/testdata/go/go.mod
index 5e56a47970..1c6491398f 100644
--- a/internal/builders/go/pkg/testdata/go/go.mod
+++ b/internal/builders/go/pkg/testdata/go/go.mod
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 module github.com/slsa-framework/slsa-github-generator/internal/builders/go/pkg/testdata/go
 
-go 1.19
+go 1.23.1
diff --git a/internal/utils/marshal_test.go b/internal/utils/marshal_test.go
index 91e75d8f08..244c6bcee3 100644
--- a/internal/utils/marshal_test.go
+++ b/internal/utils/marshal_test.go
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ func Test_MarshalToString(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
@@ -91,7 +90,6 @@ func Test_UnmarshalList(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/internal/utils/path_test.go b/internal/utils/path_test.go
index e810ea2d08..ffd9c930b2 100644
--- a/internal/utils/path_test.go
+++ b/internal/utils/path_test.go
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ func Test_PathIsUnderCurrentDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
@@ -121,7 +120,6 @@ func Test_VerifyAttestationPath(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
@@ -193,7 +191,6 @@ func Test_CreateNewFileUnderCurrentDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			cleanup, err := tempWD()
 			if err != nil {
@@ -273,7 +270,6 @@ func Test_PathIsUnderDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		tt := tt // Re-initializing variable so it is not changed while executing the closure below
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/signing/sigstore/rekor.go b/signing/sigstore/rekor.go
index 0dd2bc2c69..1a08370451 100644
--- a/signing/sigstore/rekor.go
+++ b/signing/sigstore/rekor.go
@@ -99,8 +99,6 @@ func (r *Rekor) Upload(ctx context.Context, att signing.Attestation) (signing.Lo
 
 	var uuid string
 	for ix, entry := range resp.Payload {
-		entry := entry
-
 		if err := cosign.VerifyTLogEntryOffline(ctx, &entry, pubs); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("validating log entry: %w", err)
 		}