PH57206: NULLPOINTEREXCEPTION MAY OCCUR WHEN CHECKING COOKIE NAMES AT ENCODEURL

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• If custom property CheckSessionCookieNameOnEncodeURL is set to
  true (default is false), a null pointer exception may occur
  during encodeURL().
  
  Sample stack trace:
  
  [x/xx/xx x:xx:xx:xxx GMT] 000000af webapp        E
  com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.webapp.WebApp logServletError SRVE0293E:
  [Servlet Error]-[/test.jsp]: java.lang.NullPointerException
         at com.ibm.ws.session.SessionContext.shouldEncodeURL(Ses
  sionContext.java:1056)
         at com.ibm.ws.session.SessionContext.encodeURL(SessionCo
  ntext.java:1016)
         at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.srt.SRTRequestContext.encodeU
  RL(SRTRequestContext.java:179)
         at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.webapp.WebAppDispatcherContex
  t.encodeURL(WebAppDispatcherContext.java:313)
         at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.srt.SRTServletResponse.encode
  URL(SRTServletResponse.java:1088)
         at com.ibm._jsp._test._jspService(_test.java:90)
         at
  com.ibm.ws.jsp.runtime.HttpJspBase.service(HttpJspBase.java:99)
  

Local fix

• Set CheckSessionCookieNameOnEncodeURL to false
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  IBM WebSphere Application Server version    *
  *                  8.5.5 and 9.0 users.                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Session manager may throw               *
  *                      java.lang.NullPointerException when     *
  *                      CheckSessionCookieNameOnEncodeURL       *
  *                      session property is                     *
  *                      enabled.                                *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  Check HTTP session cookie in encoded URL may give
  java.lang.NullPointerException
  

Problem conclusion

• Code changes were made to correctly catch the empty session
  cookie during CheckSessionCookieNameOnEncodeURL call.
  
  The fix for this APAR is targeted for inclusion in fix pack
  8.5.5.25 and fix pack 9.0.5.18. For more information, see
  'Recommended Updates for WebSphere Application Server':
  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/715553
  

Temporary fix

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

  WEBS APP SERV N

• Fixed component ID

  5724H8800

Applicable component levels