#vulnerable code 
                                public String getAuthor() throws IOException, ParseException {
        if (author != null) {
            return author;
        }
        if (url == null)
            throw new IOException("URL needs to be present");

        return info(url).get("author").toString();
    } 
                            #location 8 
                            #vulnerability type NULL_DEREFERENCE
#fixed code
                                public String getAuthor() {
        return author;
    }