diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-dev dependencies-23e6494b.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-dev dependencies-23e6494b.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bd9d24a63d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-dev dependencies-23e6494b.json	
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "type": "bugfix",
+  "category": "dev dependencies",
+  "description": "bump versions of cucumber, karma, mocha and webpack"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn-core.js b/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn-core.js
index 8184257583..a756dc1c4a 100644
--- a/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn-core.js
+++ b/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn-core.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // import path for resolving file paths
 var path = require('path');
 module.exports = {
+    mode: 'production',
     // Specify the entry point for our app.
     entry: [
         path.join(__dirname, '..', 'lib', 'core.js'),
@@ -22,11 +23,8 @@ module.exports = {
          * where a json file is being imported, it will use
          * the json-loader.
          */
-        loaders: [
-            {
-                test: /\.json$/,
-                loaders: ['json']
-            }
+        rules: [
+            { test: /\.json&/, use: 'json-loader' }
         ]
     }
 };
diff --git a/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn-dep.js b/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn-dep.js
index ed6057d929..d24207c2b2 100644
--- a/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn-dep.js
+++ b/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn-dep.js
@@ -21,11 +21,8 @@ module.exports = {
          * where a json file is being imported, it will use
          * the json-loader.
          */
-        loaders: [
-            {
-                test: /\.json$/,
-                loaders: ['json']
-            }
+        rules: [
+            { test: /\.json&/, use: 'json-loader' }
         ]
     }
 };
diff --git a/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn.js b/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn.js
index 605ec8062d..d61a7f4a42 100644
--- a/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn.js
+++ b/dist-tools/webpack.config.rn.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ module.exports = {
         library: 'AWS'
     },
     resolve: {
-      packageAlias: 'react-native'
+        aliasFields: ['react-native']
     },
     module: {
         /**
@@ -24,11 +24,8 @@ module.exports = {
          * where a json file is being imported, it will use
          * the json-loader.
          */
-        loaders: [
-            {
-                test: /\.json$/,
-                loaders: ['json']
-            }
+        rules: [
+            { test: /\.json&/, use: 'json-loader' }
         ]
     }
 };
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2b53b53378..de04f8e667 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,15 +19,16 @@
     "codecov": "^1.0.1",
     "coffee-script": "1.6.3",
     "coffeeify": "*",
-    "cucumber": "0.5.x",
+    "coffeescript": "^2.3.2",
+    "cucumber": "^1.0.0",
     "eslint": "^5.8.0",
     "hash-test-vectors": "^1.3.2",
     "insert-module-globals": "^7.0.0",
     "istanbul": "*",
     "jasmine": "^2.5.3",
     "jasmine-core": "^2.5.2",
-    "json-loader": "^0.5.4",
-    "karma": "^2.0.0",
+    "json-loader": "^0.5.7",
+    "karma": "^4.0.1",
     "karma-chrome-launcher": "2.2.0",
     "karma-jasmine": "^1.1.0",
     "mocha": "^3.0.0",
@@ -35,7 +36,8 @@
     "semver": "*",
     "typescript": "2.0.8",
     "uglify-js": "2.x",
-    "webpack": "^1.15.0"
+    "webpack": "^4.0.0",
+    "webpack-cli": "^3.3.0"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "buffer": "4.9.1",
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@
     "unit": "mocha -- test test/json test/model test/protocol test/query test/services test/signers test/xml test/s3 test/cloudfront test/dynamodb test/polly test/rds test/publisher test/event-stream",
     "coverage": "istanbul cover ./node_modules/mocha/bin/_mocha --reporter=lcovonly -- test test/json test/model test/protocol test/query test/services test/signers test/xml test/s3 test/cloudfront test/dynamodb test/polly test/rds test/publisher test/event-stream",
     "browsertest": "rake browser:test && karma start",
-    "buildertest": "mocha --compilers coffee:coffee-script -s 1000 -t 10000 dist-tools/test",
+    "buildertest": "mocha --require coffee-script -s 1000 -t 10000 dist-tools/test/*.coffee",
     "integration": "cucumber.js",
     "lint": "eslint lib test dist-tools/*.js",
     "console": "./scripts/console",