FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.6.0_45"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_45-b06)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 20.45-b01, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
I was running a mvn cobertura analysis on code and got the below error

java.lang.NullPointerException
        at com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol$MethodSymbol.params(Symbol.java:1196)

        at com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassReader.attachParameterAnnotations(ClassR
eader.java:1111)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassReader.readMemberAttr(ClassReader.java:8
71)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassReader.readMemberAttrs(ClassReader.java:
1027)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassReader.readMethod(ClassReader.java:1490)

        at com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassReader.readClass(ClassReader.java:1586)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassReader.readClassFile(ClassReader.java:16
58)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassReader.fillIn(ClassReader.java:1845)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassReader.complete(ClassReader.java:1777)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol.complete(Symbol.java:384)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol$ClassSymbol.complete(Symbol.java:766)

        at com.sun.tools.javac.jvm.ClassReader.loadClass(ClassReader.java:1951)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Resolve.loadClass(Resolve.java:867)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Resolve.findGlobalType(Resolve.java:926)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Resolve.findType(Resolve.java:982)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Resolve.findIdent(Resolve.java:1011)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Resolve.resolveIdent(Resolve.java:1187)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Attr.visitIdent(Attr.java:1714)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree$JCIdent.accept(JCTree.java:1547)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Attr.attribTree(Attr.java:360)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Attr.attribType(Attr.java:390)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.MemberEnter.visitVarDef(MemberEnter.java:607
)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree$JCVariableDecl.accept(JCTree.java:691
)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.MemberEnter.memberEnter(MemberEnter.java:387
)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.MemberEnter.memberEnter(MemberEnter.java:399
)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.MemberEnter.finishClass(MemberEnter.java:410
)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.MemberEnter.finish(MemberEnter.java:1000)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.MemberEnter.complete(MemberEnter.java:967)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol.complete(Symbol.java:384)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol$ClassSymbol.complete(Symbol.java:766)

        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Enter.complete(Enter.java:464)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Enter.main(Enter.java:442)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.enterTrees(JavaCompiler.java:82
2)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.compile(JavaCompiler.java:727)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.main.Main.compile(Main.java:353)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.api.JavacTaskImpl.call(JavacTaskImpl.java:113)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.compiler.javac.JavaxToolsCompiler.compileInProces
s(JavaxToolsCompiler.java:126)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.compiler.javac.JavacCompiler.performCompile(Javac
Compiler.java:169)
        at org.apache.maven.plugin.compiler.AbstractCompilerMojo.execute(Abstrac
tCompilerMojo.java:785)
        at org.apache.maven.plugin.compiler.TestCompilerMojo.execute(TestCompile
rMojo.java:152)
        at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo(Default
BuildPluginManager.java:132)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor
.java:208)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor
.java:153)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor
.java:145)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.executeForkedExecuti
ons(MojoExecutor.java:364)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor
.java:198)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor
.java:153)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor
.java:145)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProje
ct(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:116)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProje
ct(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:80)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.builder.singlethreaded.SingleThre
adedBuilder.build(SingleThreadedBuilder.java:51)
        at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute(Lifecycl
eStarter.java:120)
        at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute(DefaultMaven.java:355)
        at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute(DefaultMaven.java:155)
        at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute(MavenCli.java:584)
        at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain(MavenCli.java:216)
        at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main(MavenCli.java:160)
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.
java:39)
        at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAcces
sorImpl.java:25)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced(Laun
cher.java:289)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch(Launcher.jav
a:229)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode(La
uncher.java:415)
        at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main(Launcher.java:
356)

REGRESSION. Last worked in version 6u43


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.