#vulnerable code 
                              public <T extends Message> ObjectOrStatus<T> request(
      T.Builder builder, String path, String method, T body, String apiVersion, String kind)
      throws ApiException, IOException {
    HashMap<String, String> headers = new HashMap<>();
    headers.put("Content-Type", MEDIA_TYPE);
    headers.put("Accept", MEDIA_TYPE);
    String[] localVarAuthNames = new String[] {"BearerToken"};
    Request request =
        apiClient.buildRequest(
            path,
            method,
            new ArrayList<Pair>(),
            new ArrayList<Pair>(),
            null,
            headers,
            new HashMap<String, String>(),
            new HashMap<String, Object>(),
            localVarAuthNames,
            null);
    if (body != null) {
      byte[] bytes = encode(body, apiVersion, kind);
      switch (method) {
        case "POST":
          request =
              request
                  .newBuilder()
                  .post(RequestBody.create(MediaType.parse(MEDIA_TYPE), bytes))
                  .build();
          break;
        case "PUT":
          request =
              request
                  .newBuilder()
                  .put(RequestBody.create(MediaType.parse(MEDIA_TYPE), bytes))
                  .build();
          break;
        case "PATCH":
          request =
              request
                  .newBuilder()
                  .patch(RequestBody.create(MediaType.parse(MEDIA_TYPE), bytes))
                  .build();
          break;
        default:
          throw new ApiException("Unknown proto client API method: " + method);
      }
    }
    Response resp = apiClient.getHttpClient().newCall(request).execute();
    Unknown u = parse(resp.body().byteStream());
    resp.body().close();

    if (u.getTypeMeta().getApiVersion().equals("v1")
        && u.getTypeMeta().getKind().equals("Status")) {
      Status status = Status.newBuilder().mergeFrom(u.getRaw()).build();
      return new ObjectOrStatus(null, status);
    }

    return new ObjectOrStatus((T) builder.mergeFrom(u.getRaw()).build(), null);
  } 
                            #location 49 
                            #vulnerability type NULL_DEREFERENCE
#fixed code
                              public <T extends Message> ObjectOrStatus<T> request(
      T.Builder builder, String path, String method, T body, String apiVersion, String kind)
      throws ApiException, IOException {
    HashMap<String, String> headers = new HashMap<>();
    headers.put("Content-Type", MEDIA_TYPE);
    headers.put("Accept", MEDIA_TYPE);
    String[] localVarAuthNames = new String[] {"BearerToken"};
    Request request =
        apiClient.buildRequest(
            path,
            method,
            new ArrayList<Pair>(),
            new ArrayList<Pair>(),
            null,
            headers,
            new HashMap<String, String>(),
            new HashMap<String, Object>(),
            localVarAuthNames,
            null);
    if (body != null) {
      byte[] bytes = encode(body, apiVersion, kind);
      switch (method) {
        case "POST":
          request =
              request
                  .newBuilder()
                  .post(RequestBody.create(MediaType.parse(MEDIA_TYPE), bytes))
                  .build();
          break;
        case "PUT":
          request =
              request
                  .newBuilder()
                  .put(RequestBody.create(MediaType.parse(MEDIA_TYPE), bytes))
                  .build();
          break;
        case "PATCH":
          request =
              request
                  .newBuilder()
                  .patch(RequestBody.create(MediaType.parse(MEDIA_TYPE), bytes))
                  .build();
          break;
        default:
          throw new ApiException("Unknown proto client API method: " + method);
      }
    }
    return getObjectOrStatusFromServer(builder, request);
  }