diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index cd7f8feee75..11de5cdc3c6 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@ require (
 	github.com/anchore/bubbly v0.0.0-20231115134915-def0aba654a9
 	github.com/anchore/clio v0.0.0-20250319180342-2cfe4b0cb716
 	github.com/anchore/fangs v0.0.0-20250319222917-446a1e748ec2
-	github.com/anchore/go-collections v0.0.0-20240216171411-9321230ce537
+	github.com/anchore/go-collections v0.0.0-20251016125210-a3c352120e8c
 	github.com/anchore/go-homedir v0.0.0-20250319154043-c29668562e4d
 	github.com/anchore/go-logger v0.0.0-20250318195838-07ae343dd722
 	github.com/anchore/go-macholibre v0.0.0-20220308212642-53e6d0aaf6fb
 	github.com/anchore/go-rpmdb v0.0.0-20250516171929-f77691e1faec
-	github.com/anchore/go-sync v0.0.0-20250326131806-4eda43a485b6
+	github.com/anchore/go-sync v0.0.0-20251016131156-c92221f8e3da
 	github.com/anchore/go-testutils v0.0.0-20200925183923-d5f45b0d3c04
 	github.com/anchore/go-version v1.2.2-0.20200701162849-18adb9c92b9b
 	github.com/anchore/packageurl-go v0.1.1-0.20250220190351-d62adb6e1115
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 82fb633fe1c..7a7190019d1 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ github.com/anchore/clio v0.0.0-20250319180342-2cfe4b0cb716 h1:2sIdYJlQESEnyk3Y0W
 github.com/anchore/clio v0.0.0-20250319180342-2cfe4b0cb716/go.mod h1:Utb9i4kwiCWvqAIxZaJeMIXFO9uOgQXlvH2BfbfO/zI=
 github.com/anchore/fangs v0.0.0-20250319222917-446a1e748ec2 h1:GC2QaO0YsmjpsZ4rtVKv9DnproIxqqn+qkskpc+i8MA=
 github.com/anchore/fangs v0.0.0-20250319222917-446a1e748ec2/go.mod h1:XUbUECwVKuD3qYRUj+QZIOHjyyXua2gFmVjKA40iHXA=
-github.com/anchore/go-collections v0.0.0-20240216171411-9321230ce537 h1:GjNGuwK5jWjJMyVppBjYS54eOiiSNv4Ba869k4wh72Q=
-github.com/anchore/go-collections v0.0.0-20240216171411-9321230ce537/go.mod h1:1aiktV46ATCkuVg0O573ZrH56BUawTECPETbZyBcqT8=
+github.com/anchore/go-collections v0.0.0-20251016125210-a3c352120e8c h1:eoJXyC0n7DZ4YvySG/ETdYkTar2Due7eH+UmLK6FbrA=
+github.com/anchore/go-collections v0.0.0-20251016125210-a3c352120e8c/go.mod h1:1aiktV46ATCkuVg0O573ZrH56BUawTECPETbZyBcqT8=
 github.com/anchore/go-homedir v0.0.0-20250319154043-c29668562e4d h1:gT69osH9AsdpOfqxbRwtxcNnSZ1zg4aKy2BevO3ZBdc=
 github.com/anchore/go-homedir v0.0.0-20250319154043-c29668562e4d/go.mod h1:PhSnuFYknwPZkOWKB1jXBNToChBA+l0FjwOxtViIc50=
 github.com/anchore/go-logger v0.0.0-20250318195838-07ae343dd722 h1:2SqmFgE7h+Ql4VyBzhjLkRF/3gDrcpUBj8LjvvO6OOM=
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ github.com/anchore/go-rpmdb v0.0.0-20250516171929-f77691e1faec h1:SjjPMOXTzpuU1Z
 github.com/anchore/go-rpmdb v0.0.0-20250516171929-f77691e1faec/go.mod h1:eQVa6QFGzKy0qMcnW2pez0XBczvgwSjw9vA23qifEyU=
 github.com/anchore/go-struct-converter v0.0.0-20221118182256-c68fdcfa2092 h1:aM1rlcoLz8y5B2r4tTLMiVTrMtpfY0O8EScKJxaSaEc=
 github.com/anchore/go-struct-converter v0.0.0-20221118182256-c68fdcfa2092/go.mod h1:rYqSE9HbjzpHTI74vwPvae4ZVYZd1lue2ta6xHPdblA=
-github.com/anchore/go-sync v0.0.0-20250326131806-4eda43a485b6 h1:Ha+LSCVuXYSYGi7wIkJK6G8g6jI3LH7y6LbyEVyp4Io=
-github.com/anchore/go-sync v0.0.0-20250326131806-4eda43a485b6/go.mod h1:+9oM3XUy8iea/vWj9FhZ9bQGUBN8JpPxxJm5Wbcx9XM=
+github.com/anchore/go-sync v0.0.0-20251016131156-c92221f8e3da h1:aYQvxFDwxyCC/sSIiA60vajgSzUrb8cnlaFkXFfYsnc=
+github.com/anchore/go-sync v0.0.0-20251016131156-c92221f8e3da/go.mod h1:e/h/U63/RNEtOya2nVAO6yi/2PRbddolwINtMbA+45g=
 github.com/anchore/go-testutils v0.0.0-20200925183923-d5f45b0d3c04 h1:VzprUTpc0vW0nnNKJfJieyH/TZ9UYAnTZs5/gHTdAe8=
 github.com/anchore/go-testutils v0.0.0-20200925183923-d5f45b0d3c04/go.mod h1:6dK64g27Qi1qGQZ67gFmBFvEHScy0/C8qhQhNe5B5pQ=
 github.com/anchore/go-version v1.2.2-0.20200701162849-18adb9c92b9b h1:e1bmaoJfZVsCYMrIZBpFxwV26CbsuoEh5muXD5I1Ods=
diff --git a/internal/unknown/coordinate_error.go b/internal/unknown/coordinate_error.go
index 46bc53e11b1..efd5d81d9d4 100644
--- a/internal/unknown/coordinate_error.go
+++ b/internal/unknown/coordinate_error.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/anchore/go-sync"
 	"github.com/anchore/syft/internal/log"
 	"github.com/anchore/syft/syft/file"
 )
@@ -184,18 +185,25 @@ func visitErrors(err error, fn func(error) error) error {
 		// errors.Join omits nil errors and will return nil if all passed errors are nil
 		return errors.Join(out...)
 	}
+	// handle PanicErrors directly, since these are wrapped errors
+	if e, ok := err.(sync.PanicError); ok {
+		return fn(e)
+	}
 	// unwrap singly wrapped errors
 	if e, ok := err.(interface{ Unwrap() error }); ok {
 		wrapped := e.Unwrap()
-		got := visitErrors(wrapped, fn)
-		if got == nil {
-			return nil
-		}
-		if wrapped.Error() != got.Error() {
-			prefix := strings.TrimSuffix(err.Error(), wrapped.Error())
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s%w", prefix, got)
+		// if there is not a wrapped error, fall through to visit the error directly
+		if wrapped != nil {
+			got := visitErrors(wrapped, fn)
+			if got == nil {
+				return nil
+			}
+			if wrapped.Error() != got.Error() {
+				prefix := strings.TrimSuffix(err.Error(), wrapped.Error())
+				return fmt.Errorf("%s%w", prefix, got)
+			}
+			return err
 		}
-		return err
 	}
 	return fn(err)
 }
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/generic/cataloger_test.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/generic/cataloger_test.go
index f4e5c479811..e31dd6b9713 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/generic/cataloger_test.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/generic/cataloger_test.go
@@ -183,9 +183,9 @@ func TestClosesFileOnParserPanic(t *testing.T) {
 		upstreamCataloger: "unit-test-cataloger",
 	}
 
-	assert.PanicsWithValue(t, "panic!", func() {
-		_, _, _ = c.Catalog(ctx, resolver)
-	})
+	_, _, err := c.Catalog(ctx, resolver)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "panic!")
 	require.True(t, spy.closed)
 }