IJ50401: JAVA.UTIL.PROPERTIES.LOAD() CORRUPTS PROPERTIES IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Error Message: This defect causes the reading of properties
  files encoded with an ASCII codepage to break in the following
  circumstances:
  
  1. The properties file contains contain a single line with a
   key/value pair that uses ':' as the separator
  
  2. The properties file contains contain a single line with a
   key/value pair that uses whitespace as the separator
  
  3. The properties file contains contain a single line with a
   key but no value
  
  This issue can manifest in many different circumstances
  depending on what the properties file is used for.
  
  Most commonly the corrupted string data will lead to a
  problem elsewhere in the application. The corrupted
  string data will look, similar to this:
   ÁÌ/_ø%Á&Ê?øÁÊÈ`.Á`?ÁÌ/_ø%Áî/%ÍÁ =
  
  For example:
  
  Stack Trace: Error: Exception thrown by the agent :
  java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Expected word at end of line
  
  
  <OSB>ÈÁËÈÍËÁÊ???ÊÁ/ÀÏÊÑÈÁ <CSB>
  sun.management.AgentConfigurationError:
  java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Expected word at end of line
  
  
  <OSB>ÈÁËÈÍËÁÊ???ÊÁ/ÀÏÊÑÈÁ <CSB>
  at sun.management.jmxremote.ConnectorBootstrap
        .startRemoteConnectorServer(ConnectorBootstrap.java:492)
  
  
  The issue may also manifest as a NullPointerException in the
  application, caused by a property key not being found in the
  properties file.
  

Local fix

• customer should be able to work around the issue in either of
  the following ways:
  Add a newline character at the end of the single line in the
  properties file, such that the properties file will contain two
  lines.
  Add an equal's sign character ('=') at the end of the key string
  
  
  
  in the properties file
  

Problem summary

• GARBLED TEXT RETURNED BY JAVA.UTIL.PROPERTIES.LOAD()
  

Problem conclusion

• No garbled text returned by java.util.Properties.load() with the
  fix provided in SR8FP25 release.
  Reading of properties files encoded with an ASCII codepage will
  not break in the following circumstances:
  1. The properties file contains a single line with a key/value
  pair that uses ':' as the separator
  2. The properties file contains a single line with a key/value
  pair that uses whitespace as the separator
  3. The properties file contains a single line with a key but no
  value
  .
  This APAR will be fixed in the following Releases:
  .
  IBM SDK, Java Technology Edition
     8    SR8 FP25  (8.0.8.25)
  .
  Downloads and supplementary documentation can be found at the
  following locations:
  - For non z/OS operating systems:
    - IBM Semeru Runtimes, Version 11 and later
      https://www.ibm.com/semeru-runtimes/downloads/
    - IBM SDK, Java Technology Edition, Version 8
      https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/java-sdk-downloads/
  - For the z/OS operating system:
    - Java SDK Products on z/OS
      https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/java-sdk-products-zos
  

Temporary fix

• customer should be able to work around the issue in either of
  the following ways:
  Add a newline character at the end of the single line in the
  properties file, such that the properties file will contain two
  lines.
  Add an equal's sign character ('=') at the end of the key string
  in the properties file
  

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  JAVA CLASS LIBS

• Fixed component ID

  620700130

Applicable component levels