very strange NullPointerException in maven-dependency-plugin

Question

I do have a big problem, that i cannot update to a new version of a library inside a maven managed project.

it is easy to reproduce just by calling the maven dependency plugin to download a bigger version of a specific library (payment provider "Heidelpay" API)

this call works:

mvn org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:3.1.2:get -Dartifact=com.heidelpay.payment:heidelpayJava:1.8.0.0:jar

When doing this call (just increasing the version number > 1.8):

mvn org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:3.1.2:get -Dartifact=com.heidelpay.payment:heidelpayJava:1.11.2.0:jar

A Nullpointer Exception is thrown:

[INFO] Resolving com.heidelpay.payment:heidelpayJava:jar:1.11.2.0 with transitive dependencies
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] BUILD FAILURE
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Total time:  5.939 s
[INFO] Finished at: 2020-12-08T08:53:32+01:00
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ERROR] Failed to execute goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:3.1.2:get (default-cli) on project standalone-pom: Execution default-cli of goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:3.1.2:get failed.: NullPointerException -> [Help 1]
org.apache.maven.lifecycle.LifecycleExecutionException: Failed to execute goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:3.1.2:get (default-cli) on project standalone-pom: Execution default-cli of goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:3.1.2:get failed.
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:215)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:156)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:148)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:117)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:81)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.builder.singlethreaded.SingleThreadedBuilder.build (SingleThreadedBuilder.java:56)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute (LifecycleStarter.java:128)
    at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:305)
    at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:192)
    at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute (DefaultMaven.java:105)
    at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute (MavenCli.java:957)
    at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain (MavenCli.java:289)
    at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main (MavenCli.java:193)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0 (Native Method)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke (Method.java:566)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced (Launcher.java:282)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch (Launcher.java:225)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode (Launcher.java:406)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main (Launcher.java:347)
Caused by: org.apache.maven.plugin.PluginExecutionException: Execution default-cli of goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:3.1.2:get failed.
    at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo (DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:148)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:210)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:156)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:148)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:117)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:81)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.builder.singlethreaded.SingleThreadedBuilder.build (SingleThreadedBuilder.java:56)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute (LifecycleStarter.java:128)
    at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:305)
    at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:192)
    at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute (DefaultMaven.java:105)
    at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute (MavenCli.java:957)
    at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain (MavenCli.java:289)
    at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main (MavenCli.java:193)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0 (Native Method)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke (Method.java:566)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced (Launcher.java:282)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch (Launcher.java:225)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode (Launcher.java:406)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main (Launcher.java:347)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
    at java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap$MapEntry.setValue (ConcurrentHashMap.java:3539)
    at org.apache.maven.model.interpolation.StringVisitorModelInterpolator$ModelVisitor.visit (StringVisitorModelInterpolator.java:1429)
    at org.apache.maven.model.interpolation.StringVisitorModelInterpolator$ModelVisitor.visit (StringVisitorModelInterpolator.java:1027)
    at org.apache.maven.model.interpolation.StringVisitorModelInterpolator$ModelVisitor.visit (StringVisitorModelInterpolator.java:170)
    at org.apache.maven.model.interpolation.StringVisitorModelInterpolator.interpolateModel (StringVisitorModelInterpolator.java:107)
    at org.apache.maven.model.building.DefaultModelBuilder.interpolateModel (DefaultModelBuilder.java:789)
    at org.apache.maven.model.building.DefaultModelBuilder.build (DefaultModelBuilder.java:393)
    at org.apache.maven.repository.internal.DefaultArtifactDescriptorReader.loadPom (DefaultArtifactDescriptorReader.java:292)
    at org.apache.maven.repository.internal.DefaultArtifactDescriptorReader.readArtifactDescriptor (DefaultArtifactDescriptorReader.java:171)
    at org.eclipse.aether.internal.impl.collect.DefaultDependencyCollector.collectDependencies (DefaultDependencyCollector.java:200)
    at org.eclipse.aether.internal.impl.DefaultRepositorySystem.resolveDependencies (DefaultRepositorySystem.java:309)
    at org.apache.maven.shared.transfer.dependencies.resolve.internal.Maven31DependencyResolver.resolveDependencies (Maven31DependencyResolver.java:227)
    at org.apache.maven.shared.transfer.dependencies.resolve.internal.Maven31DependencyResolver.resolveDependencies (Maven31DependencyResolver.java:90)
    at org.apache.maven.shared.transfer.dependencies.resolve.internal.DefaultDependencyResolver.resolveDependencies (DefaultDependencyResolver.java:85)
    at org.apache.maven.plugins.dependency.GetMojo.execute (GetMojo.java:234)
    at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo (DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:137)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:210)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:156)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute (MojoExecutor.java:148)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:117)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject (LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:81)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.builder.singlethreaded.SingleThreadedBuilder.build (SingleThreadedBuilder.java:56)
    at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute (LifecycleStarter.java:128)
    at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:305)
    at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute (DefaultMaven.java:192)
    at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute (DefaultMaven.java:105)
    at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute (MavenCli.java:957)
    at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain (MavenCli.java:289)
    at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main (MavenCli.java:193)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0 (Native Method)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke (DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke (Method.java:566)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced (Launcher.java:282)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch (Launcher.java:225)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode (Launcher.java:406)
    at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main (Launcher.java:347)
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
[ERROR] For more information about the errors and possible solutions, please read the following articles:
[ERROR] [Help 1] http://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/MAVEN/PluginExecutionException

Is this a bug of the maven plugin? is there anybody with any hint, how i could work around this problem?

best regards

Shane

Answer 1

I had NullPointerException in the exact position and resolved it by upgrading my maven installation from 3.6.3 to 3.8.3.

I imagine this was because of java 11, but I didn't find any conclusive link between java and maven versions.