Major Android crash involving NullPointerException surfacing since Nov 17

[sven...@gmail.com]

This crash just started appearing for hundreds of users on Nov 17,  across many versions of my app with many versions of AdMob with latest being com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:21.2.0 and is now by far my biggest crash

I use native and interstitial ads.

As anyone seen it or know anything about it?

Exception java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'int android.view.View.getWidth()' on a null object reference
  at aeh.c (aeh.java:5)
  at acv.h (acv.java:1)
  at com.google.android.gms.ads.internal.i.h (i.java:2)
  at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.j.e (j.java:1)
  at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.g.run (g.java)
  at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker (ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1167)
  at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run (ThreadPoolExecutor.java:641)
  at java.lang.Thread.run (Thread.java:923)

[sven...@gmail.com]

I forgot to mention, my app also uses App Open.

[Tamás Szabó]

Hi,

Same error here.
Since 2022 Nov 18 my Craslytics console send me alerts about this error. I use Native ads in Flutter 3.0.x (i can't remember exactly, and i updated flutter since, but it was 3.0.3 or 3.0.4) with google_mobile_ads: ^2.0.1. I updated the app 3 week ago, the old app was native Android the new one is Flutter. Until Nov 18, there was no error, but since, i got errors from the updated Flutter version and from the old native android too.

I can't find anything in common in the users who reported the issue. Android versions from 9 to 12, low and high end devices, samsung, huawei, lg, etc...
But it's only a small percentage of users got this error but they got it repeatedly. e.g: 20 users generated more than 200 crashes

I think, maybe one specific ad cause the issue, and only the targeted users get the ad and the error. But it's only a guess.
My app is targeted only to Hungary.

The iOS version of the Flutter app is not throwing errors, only the android.

The new Flutter version error:
Fatal Exception: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'int android.view.View.getWidth()' on a null object reference

       at aeh.c(aeh.java:5)
       at acv.h(acv.java:1)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.internal.i.h(i.java:2)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.j.e(j.java:1)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.g.run(g.java)
       at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1167)
       at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:641)
       at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:923)

The old native android error:
Fatal Exception: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'int android.view.View.getWidth()' on a null object reference
       at aeh.c(:com.google.android.gms.policy_ads_fdr_dynamite@223712200@223712200057.473771314.473771314:5)
       at acv.h(:com.google.android.gms.policy_ads_fdr_dynamite@223712200@223712200057.473771314.473771314:1)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.internal.i.h(:com.google.android.gms.policy_ads_fdr_dynamite@223712200@223712200057.473771314.473771314:2)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.j.e(:com.google.android.gms.policy_ads_fdr_dynamite@223712200@223712200057.473771314.473771314:1)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.g.run(:com.google.android.gms.policy_ads_fdr_dynamite@223712200@223712200057.473771314.473771314)
       at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1167)
       at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:641)
       at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:923)

[sven...@gmail.com]

I'm heavily thinking it's caused by passing a non Activity context when loading ads, this spammed the logcat with errors but did not cause a crash before. Now I thinking they are rolling out a new version of Play Services that is causing app to crash. I haven't verified it yet, will report back.

[sven...@gmail.com]

Never mind, I doubt non Activity context is the reason, I just had strict mode extra logging enabled

[Tamás Szabó]

I managed to talk with one of my user who has this issue.

He is using the same version of Play Services as my test device (which is working without any issue). 22.44.17 (Nov. 14. update)

So, maybe the issue is not in the play services.

[Shawn Lin]

Hi,

Facing the same issue since Nov 17.

com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads-lite:20.5.0

Fatal Exception: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'int android.view.View.getWidth()' on a null object reference
       at aeh.c(aeh.java:5)
       at acv.h(acv.java:1)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.internal.i.h(i.java:2)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.j.e(j.java:1)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.g.run(g.java)
       at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1167)
       at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:641)
       at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:923)

Fatal Exception: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'int android.view.View.getWidth()' on a null object reference

       at aer.c(aer.java:5)
       at adf.h(adf.java:1)

       at com.google.android.gms.ads.internal.i.h(i.java:2)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.j.e(j.java:1)
       at com.google.android.gms.ads.nonagon.ad.g.run(g.java)

       at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1162)
       at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:636)
       at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:764)

Tamás Szabó 在 2022年11月20日 星期日清晨6:27:04 [UTC+8] 的信中寫道：

[Teng-Pao Yu]

In the same situation and this seems to affect 0.13% of our user base. No major pattern in Android OS version and device distribution.

[prudhvi reddy]

We are facing this as well on Android 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

[min...@gmail.com]

My apps got 2 cluster of crashes, one is exactly the same and it happens on Android 9+, the other one is very similar. The only difference is that it happens on Android<=9. Also a slight difference in trace.

 "aer.c (aer.java:5)

adf.h (adf.java:1)" 

Instead of 

"at aeh.c (aeh.java:5)

 at acv.h (acv.java:1)

"

[sven...@gmail.com]

In case anyone is wondering, upgrading to the latest com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:21.3.0 did not stop the crash

[yi fang]

I also meet this problem. It happens above Android 9 version. 

Fatal Exception: java.lang.NullPointerException

Attempt to invoke virtual method 'int android.view.View.getWidth()' on a null object reference

aeh.c (aeh.java:5)

acv.h (acv.java:1)

com.google.android.gms.ads.internal.i.h (i.java:2)

sven...@gmail.com 在 2022年11月21日 星期一凌晨4:18:22 [UTC+8] 的信中寫道：

[Pavel Galanin]

See the same crash -- top 1 in console by events and among the leaders by users affected

понедельник, 21 ноября 2022 г. в 09:41:02 UTC+6, yi fang:

[Mobile Ads SDK Forum Advisor]

Hi All,

 

Thank you for reaching out to us.

 

Let me share this crashes information to the rest of the team to further investigate this. We will update you once we have more information.

 

Regards,

Princess Pamela Mobile Ads SDK Team

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[TL]

Same exact error here, same timeframe. Native ads. Also non-Activity context which is picked by AppLovin's GoogleMediationAdapter: https://github.com/AppLovin/AppLovin-MAX-SDK-Android/blob/a4304b1a275a8e7807ae73eda86b694b671bdb30/Google/src/main/java/com/applovin/mediation/adapters/GoogleMediationAdapter.java#L970-L974

[Mobile Ads SDK Forum Advisor]

Hi all,

I've shared this with the rest of the team. We will reach out to you once we have any updates.

Regards,

Yasar Mobile Ads SDK Team

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[itzno...@gmail.com]

Please make this a high priority issue.

The crash velocity is insanely high on this issue.

[Mobile Ads SDK Forum Advisor]

Hi DasShan,

The team is now fully aware of the issue and this is now under investigation. Rest assured that the team is actively working on this with high priority. I'll let you know the soonest I have an update on this.

Regards,

Teejay Wennie Mobile Ads SDK Team

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[Teng-Pao Yu]

The issue seems to have reduced over yesterday and seems to have disappeared from our dashboard since 2300 GMT.

[Mobile Ads SDK Forum Advisor]

Hi All,

 

Thank you for patiently waiting.

 

The issue regarding the Android crashing is now fixed. You may check our public incident tracking for this specific Android issue here for the updates.

 

@Teng - Thank you for confirming that the issue reduce in your end for the crashing.

 

Regards,

Princess Pamela Mobile Ads SDK Team

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