Websphere Service startup failed after 8.5.5.18 patch

Websphere Application server failed to start after Applying 8.5.5.18 patch . From the logs i see below error .

[11/21/20 20:32:17:992 GMT+08:00] 00000001 SSLComponentI A   CWPKI0007I: SSL service failed to start successfully
[11/21/20 20:32:17:994 GMT+08:00] 00000001 WsServerImpl  E   WSVR0100W: An error occurred initializing, server1 [class com.ibm.ws.runtime.component.ServerImpl]
com.ibm.ws.exception.ConfigurationError: com.ibm.websphere.ssl.SSLException: java.lang.NullPointerException
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.core.SSLComponentImpl.initialize(SSLComponentImpl.java:208)
...
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.WSKeyStore$1.run(WSKeyStore.java:745)
 at com.ibm.ws.security.util.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:118)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.WSKeyStore.do_getKeyStore(WSKeyStore.java:645)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.WSKeyStore.getKeyStore(WSKeyStore.java:911)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.WSKeyStore.initializeKeyStore(WSKeyStore.java:1098)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.SSLConfigManager.parseSecureSocketLayer1(SSLConfigManager.java:1191)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.SSLConfigManager.parseSSLConfig(SSLConfigManager.java:751)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.SSLConfigManager.initializeServerSSL(SSLConfigManager.java:302)
FFDC:
[11/21/20 20:32:17:937 GMT+08:00]     FFDC Exception:java.lang.NullPointerException SourceId:com.ibm.ws.ssl.core.SSLConfigManager.initializeServerSSL ProbeId:312 Reporter:com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.SSLConfigManager@6e37fe8a
java.lang.NullPointerException
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.WSKeyStore$1.run(WSKeyStore.java:745)
 at com.ibm.ws.security.util.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:118)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.WSKeyStore.do_getKeyStore(WSKeyStore.java:645)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.WSKeyStore.getKeyStore(WSKeyStore.java:911)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.WSKeyStore.initializeKeyStore(WSKeyStore.java:1098)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.SSLConfigManager.parseSecureSocketLayer1(SSLConfigManager.java:1191)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.SSLConfigManager.parseSSLConfig(SSLConfigManager.java:751)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.config.SSLConfigManager.initializeServerSSL(SSLConfigManager.java:302)
 at com.ibm.ws.ssl.core.SSLComponentImpl.initialize(SSLComponentImpl.java:145)
.
So something related to your security settings..

This error occurs on the environment where custom password jar is used . and there is are testfixes available .Just like add JVM arguements

-Dcom.ibm.wsspi.security.crypto.customPasswordEncryptionClass=com.ibm.wsspi.security.crypto.CustomPasswordEncryptionImp -Dcom.ibm.wsspi.security.crypto.customPasswordEncryptionEnabled=true

Official IFIX is also available . Refer below link to download from IBM site .

https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/selectFixes?product=ibm%2FWebSphere%2FWebSphere+Application+Server&fixids=8.5.5.18-WS-WAS-IFPH32041&source=SAR&function=fixId&parent=ibm/WebSphere