The spec
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/javax/script/ScriptContext.html
asserts plenty of IAE/NPE exception throwing for getter/setter methods, however this is not completely fulfilled by the instance of SimpleScriptContext used by NashornScriptEngine

The problem shows up with GLOBAL_SCOPE.

Please try the sample which represents the JCK conformance test which operates with all the available script engine on an abstract level - without any assumption that the Nashorn engine is present or not on the certified system.

The following code throws no exceptions with JDK9b48:

import javax.script.*;

public class Test {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        for (ScriptEngineFactory f : new ScriptEngineManager().getEngineFactories()) {

            ScriptEngine e = f.getScriptEngine();
            ScriptContext c = e.getContext();
            System.err.println("context: " + c);
            System.err.println("engine: " + e);

            c.getAttribute("", ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
            c.getAttribute(null, ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
            c.removeAttribute(null, ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
            c.removeAttribute("", ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
            c.setAttribute("", "value", ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
            c.setAttribute(null, "value", ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
        }
    }
}

The output would be like

context: javax.script.SimpleScriptContext@19afc07
engine: jdk.nashorn.api.scripting.NashornScriptEngine@2db087


The problem (no exceptions thrown) is perfectly reproducible with just SimpleScriptContext instance:

        new SimpleScriptContext().getAttribute("", ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
        new SimpleScriptContext().getAttribute(null, ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
        new SimpleScriptContext().removeAttribute(null, ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
        new SimpleScriptContext().removeAttribute("", ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
        new SimpleScriptContext().setAttribute("", "value", ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);
        new SimpleScriptContext().setAttribute(null, "value", ScriptContext.GLOBAL_SCOPE);


The list of failing JCK9 tests:

api/javax_script/ScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[getAttribute_IAE_emptyName]
api/javax_script/ScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[getAttribute_NPE]
api/javax_script/ScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[removeAttribute_IAE_emptyName]
api/javax_script/ScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[removeAttribute_NPE]
api/javax_script/ScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[setAttribute_IAE_emptyName]
api/javax_script/ScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[setAttribute_NPE]
api/javax_script/SimpleScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[getAttribute_IAE_emptyName]
api/javax_script/SimpleScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[getAttribute_NPE]
api/javax_script/SimpleScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[removeAttribute_IAE_emptyName]
api/javax_script/SimpleScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[removeAttribute_NPE]
api/javax_script/SimpleScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[setAttribute_IAE_emptyName]
api/javax_script/SimpleScriptContext/index.html#Exceptions[setAttribute_NPE]