FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.7.0"
last update of java 7 have same same problem

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Reported on other systems too (win server 2003...)

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Our code works ok with jre6, bud fails on javax.net.ssl.SSLException:java.lang.NullPointerException with jre7 (any update)

Stacktrace looks like this:

javax.net.ssl.SSLException:java.lang.NullPointerException
sun.security.ssl.Alerts.getSSLException(Unknown Source)
sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.fatal(Unknown Source)
sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.fatal(Unknown Source)
sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.handleException(Unknown Source)
sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(Unknown Source)
sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(Unknown Source)
sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.afterConnect(Unknown Source)
sun.net.www.protocol.https.AbstractDelegateHttpsURLConnection.connect(Unknown Source)
sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getOutputStream(Unknown Source)
sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsURLConnectionImpl.getOutputStream(Unknown Source)
com.ness.homeBanking.communicator.CommunicatorHelper.postData(CommunicatorHelper.java:100)



REGRESSION. Last worked in version 6u31


ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
javax.net.ssl.SSLException:java.lang.NullPointerException

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
use jre6 instead of jre7