#vulnerable code 
                                private void useReleases( ModifiedPomXMLEventReader pom, Collection dependencies )
        throws XMLStreamException, MojoExecutionException
    {
        Iterator i = dependencies.iterator();

        while ( i.hasNext() )
        {
            Dependency dep = (Dependency) i.next();

            if ( isExcludeReactor() && isProducedByReactor( dep ) )
            {
                continue;
            }

            String version = dep.getVersion();
            Matcher versionMatcher = matchSnapshotRegex.matcher( version );
            if ( versionMatcher.matches() )
            {
                String releaseVersion = versionMatcher.group( 1 );
                Artifact artifact = this.findArtifact( dep );
                if ( !isIncluded( artifact ) )
                {
                    continue;
                }

                ArtifactVersions versions = getHelper().lookupArtifactVersions( artifact, false );
                if ( versions.containsVersion( releaseVersion ) )
                {
                    if ( PomHelper.setDependencyVersion( pom, dep.getGroupId(), dep.getArtifactId(), version,
                                                         releaseVersion ) )
                    {
                        getLog().debug( "Version set to " + releaseVersion + " for dependnecy: " + dep );
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    } 
                            #location 26 
                            #vulnerability type NULL_DEREFERENCE
#fixed code
                                private void useReleases( ModifiedPomXMLEventReader pom, Collection dependencies )
        throws XMLStreamException, MojoExecutionException
    {
        Iterator i = dependencies.iterator();

        while ( i.hasNext() )
        {
            Dependency dep = (Dependency) i.next();

            if ( isExcludeReactor() && isProducedByReactor( dep ) )
            {
                getLog().info( "Ignoring reactor dependency: " + toString( dep ) );
                continue;
            }

            String version = dep.getVersion();
            Matcher versionMatcher = matchSnapshotRegex.matcher( version );
            if ( versionMatcher.matches() )
            {
                String releaseVersion = versionMatcher.group( 1 );
                Artifact artifact = this.toArtifact( dep );
                if ( !isIncluded( artifact ) )
                {
                    continue;
                }

                getLog().debug( "Looking for a release of " + toString( dep ) );
                ArtifactVersions versions = getHelper().lookupArtifactVersions( artifact, false );
                if ( versions.containsVersion( releaseVersion ) )
                {
                    if ( PomHelper.setDependencyVersion( pom, dep.getGroupId(), dep.getArtifactId(), version,
                                                         releaseVersion ) )
                    {
                        getLog().info( "Updated " + toString( dep ) + " to version " + releaseVersion );
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }