FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.6.0_12"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_12-b04)
Java HotSpot(TM) Server VM (build 11.2-b01, mixed mode)

FULL OS VERSION :
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]


A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
We've found one of our programs suddenly started failing in a simple loop; depending on the exact code it would loop infinitely or cause a null pointer exception.  This happened when upgrading to 1.6.0 update 10.

We've now managed to extract the loop and trigger the bug with a simple test program, and found that:

Java 1.6.0 update 6 and update 7 works OK.
Java 1.6.0 update 10 to 13 fails.

It always fails with the "-server" option, but works with "-client".
Adding an assert for the pointer that is null, makes the program work when running with the "-ea" option.
Using the "-Xint" option also makes the program work OK.


THE PROBLEM WAS REPRODUCIBLE WITH -Xint FLAG: No

THE PROBLEM WAS REPRODUCIBLE WITH -server FLAG: Yes

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
run the attached reproduction program using the "-server" option.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
expected:

C:\Documents and Settings\arnej\break>java -server -ea BreakJava
successfully performed 1000000 cases
successfully performed 2000000 cases
successfully performed 3000000 cases
successfully performed 4000000 cases
successfully performed 5000000 cases
successfully performed 6000000 cases
successfully performed 7000000 cases
[...etc...]


actual:

C:\Documents and Settings\arnej\break>java -server BreakJava
ERROR: crashed during case 27456
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at BreakJava.removeItems(BreakJava.java:53)
        at BreakJava.perform(BreakJava.java:65)
        at BreakJava.main(BreakJava.java:78)

C:\Documents and Settings\arnej\break>java -server BreakJava
ERROR: crashed during case 10496
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at BreakJava.removeItems(BreakJava.java:53)
        at BreakJava.perform(BreakJava.java:65)
        at BreakJava.main(BreakJava.java:78)

C:\Documents and Settings\arnej\break>java -server BreakJava
ERROR: crashed during case 10816
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at BreakJava.removeItems(BreakJava.java:53)
        at BreakJava.perform(BreakJava.java:65)
        at BreakJava.main(BreakJava.java:78)

C:\Documents and Settings\arnej\break>java -server BreakJava
ERROR: crashed during case 37440
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at BreakJava.removeItems(BreakJava.java:53)
        at BreakJava.perform(BreakJava.java:65)
        at BreakJava.main(BreakJava.java:78)

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at BreakJava.removeItems(BreakJava.java:53)
        at BreakJava.perform(BreakJava.java:65)
        at BreakJava.main(BreakJava.java:78)


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public class BreakJava {

    Item list;

    static class Item {
        public Item    next;
        public Item    prev;
        public boolean remove;

        Item(boolean r) { remove = r; }
    }

    private void linkIn(Item item) {
        Item head = list;
        if (head == null) {
            item.next = item;
            item.prev = item;
            list = item;
        } else {
            item.next = head;
            item.prev = head.prev;
            head.prev.next = item;
            head.prev = item;
        }
    }

    private void linkOut(Item item) {
        Item head = list;
        if (item.next == item) {
            list = null;
        } else {
            item.prev.next = item.next;
            item.next.prev = item.prev;
            if (head == item) {
                list = item.next;
            }
        }
        item.next = null;
        item.prev = null; // is this the null pointer we are seeing?
    }

    private void removeItems() {
        Item item = list;
        if (item == null) {
            return;
        }
        Item last = item.prev;
        assert(last != null);
        boolean done = false;
        while (!done) {
            // the original code "done = (item == last);" triggered an infinite loop
            // and was changed slightly in order to produce an exception instead.
            done = (item.next == last.next);
            item = item.next;
            if (item.prev.remove) {
                linkOut(item.prev);
            }
        }
    }

    public void perform(int numItems) {
        for (int i = 0; i < numItems; i++) {
            linkIn(new Item(i == 0));
        }
        removeItems();
        list = null;
    }

    static public void main(String[] args) {
        int caseCnt = 0;
        BreakJava bj = new BreakJava();
        try {
            for (;;) {
                int numItems = (++caseCnt % 2);
                if ((caseCnt % 64) == 0) {
                    numItems = 5;
                }
                bj.perform(numItems);
                if ((caseCnt % 1000000) == 0) {
                    System.out.println("successfully performed " + caseCnt + " cases");
                }
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("ERROR: crashed during case " + caseCnt);
            e.printStackTrace(System.out);
        }
    }
}

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
using an array-based container instead of a double-linked list is a workaround in this case, but we're a bit worried about other loops using similar constructs that might trigger the same bug.

Release Regression From : 6u7
The above release value was the last known release where this 
bug was not reproducible. Since then there has been a regression.