FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
Java 7 (and tested on Java 6, same error)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Windows 7 x64

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
NPE when tracing Kerberos authentication with LDAP and logger.Level >= FINER
because the value being passed to the trace is null and " output.length " is
evaluated unchecked, making detailed SASL analysis impossible.

Proposed solution: Add check to parameter => (output==null?0:output.length)


Error in:

Class: com.sun.security.sasl.util.AbstractSaslImpl
Method: traceOutput(String srcClass, String srcMethod, String traceTag, byte[]
output)
line # 259

> Null untested when passing output.length

Called from:
Class: com.sun.security.sasl.gsskerb.GssKrb5Client
Method: evaluateChallenge(byte[] challengeData)
lines # 198 - 199

> gssOutToken is null after initial initSecContext @ line 196

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Try tracing LDAP SASL with Kerberos with default " .level.FINER "

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
LDAP Result
ACTUAL -
NullPointerException from attempted trace output

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Don't trace the package at FINER and above.