crash changing orientation/scrolling through NTP after upgrading from profile that had news disabled after initially enabling

[kjozwiak]

Description

When upgrading from a profile that doesn't have the opt-in card enabled and a user already enabled and then disabled news, upgrading to a newer version will crash Brave if a user changes the orientation of the NTP and scrolls to the bottom and then back up.

Steps to reproduce

1. install 1.39.67 Chromium: 101.0.4951.34 and skip all the initial onboarding
2. enable Brave News via Settings (method of enabling news doesn't matter)
3. once enabled scroll through the feed for a few seconds and disable Brave News via Settings
4. close Brave and update to 1.40.44 Chromium: 101.0.4951.54
5. ensure that your on a NTP and change the orientation to landscape
6. while in landscape, scroll to the bottom and them back up to Stats & Top Tiles

You'll notice that after upgrading, portrait mode isn't scrollable but landscape is despite being fixed via brave/brave-core#13203.

@brave/qa-team some more cases outlined via brave/brave-core#13297 (comment) as well.

Actual result

    Process: com.brave.browser_nightly, PID: 16708
    java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'int android.view.View.getTop()' on a null object reference
        at zB.a(chromium-MonochromePublic.apk-canary-414004423:1186)
        at androidx.recyclerview.widget.RecyclerView.o0(chromium-MonochromePublic.apk-canary-414004423:5550)
        at androidx.recyclerview.widget.c.run(chromium-MonochromePublic.apk-canary-414004423:5737)
        at android.view.Choreographer$CallbackRecord.run(Choreographer.java:1063)
        at android.view.Choreographer.doCallbacks(Choreographer.java:845)
        at android.view.Choreographer.doFrame(Choreographer.java:775)
        at android.view.Choreographer$FrameDisplayEventReceiver.run(Choreographer.java:1048)
        at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:938)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
        at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:226)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:313)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:8641)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
        at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:567)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1133)
2022-05-10 22:01:50.939 1130-4736/? I/ActivityManager: Process com.brave.browser_nightly:sandboxed_process0:org.chromium.content.app.SandboxedProcessService0:0 (pid 16805) has died: fg  BTOP(834,2616)
2022-05-10 22:01:50.940 1130-4736/? W/ActivityManager: Scheduling restart of crashed service com.brave.browser_nightly/org.chromium.content.app.SandboxedProcessService0:0 in 1000ms for connection
2022-05-10 22:01:50.987 1130-2212/? W/ActivityManager: Exception when unbinding service com.brave.browser_nightly/org.chromium.content.app.PrivilegedProcessService0
    android.os.DeadObjectException
        at android.os.BinderProxy.transactNative(Native Method)
        at android.os.BinderProxy.transact(BinderProxy.java:635)
        at android.app.IApplicationThread$Stub$Proxy.scheduleUnbindService(IApplicationThread.java:1881)
        at com.android.server.am.ActiveServices.removeConnectionLocked(ActiveServices.java:4711)
        at com.android.server.am.ActiveServices.killServicesLocked(ActiveServices.java:5155)
        at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.cleanUpApplicationRecordLocked(ActivityManagerService.java:13830)
        at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.handleAppDiedLocked(ActivityManagerService.java:3628)
        at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.appDiedLocked(ActivityManagerService.java:3826)
        at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService$AppDeathRecipient.binderDied(ActivityManagerService.java:1694)
        at android.os.IBinder$DeathRecipient.binderDied(IBinder.java:320)
        at android.os.BinderProxy.sendDeathNotice(BinderProxy.java:750)

Expected result

Brave shouldn't be crashing and the NTP shouldn't be scrollable when news has been disabled and a user is using in landscape mode.

Issue reproduces how often

100% reproducible using the above STR/Cases.

Version/Channel Information:

• Can you reproduce this issue with the current Play Store version? N/A (not 100% sure but we never enabled the opt-in card)
• Can you reproduce this issue with the current Play Store Beta version? Yes
• Can you reproduce this issue with the current Play Store Nightly version? Yes

Device details

• Install type (ARM, x86): ARM
• Device type (Phone, Tablet, Phablet): Samsung S10+ (Phone)
• Android version: Android 12

Brave version

Brave | 1.40.44 Chromium: 101.0.4951.54 (Official Build) canary (32-bit)
--- | ---
Revision | 67da1aeb32cedd27634ca6634fb79cbd85d3f0ab-refs/branch-heads/4951@{#1126}
OS | Android 12; Build/SP1A.210812.016

Website problems only

• Does the issue resolve itself when disabling Brave Shields? N/A
• Does the issue resolve itself when disabling Brave Rewards? N/A
• Is the issue reproducible on the latest version of Chrome? N/A

[kjozwiak]

Quick note for @brave/qa-team re: the above. Even though the STR/Cases used 1.39.67 Chromium: 101.0.4951.34, we should also ensure that upgrading from the current 1.38.x build to the RC also works/doesn't cause the above crash.

[kjozwiak]

Verification PASSED on Samsung S10+ running Android 12 using the following build(s):

Brave | 1.38.118 Chromium: 101.0.4951.67 (Official Build) (64-bit)
--- | ---
Revision | 8888ee7a24e2c36661ddb9536c35b7d4852a3a98-refs/branch-heads/4951@{#1230}
OS | Android 12; Build/SP1A.210812.016

Went through the STR/Cases outlined via #22777 (comment) but upgraded from 1.38.113 Chromium: 101.0.4951.61 -> 1.38.118 Chromium: 101.0.4951.67. Ensured that the crash wasn't occurring.

Verification PASSED on Samsung Galaxy Tablet A running Android 11 using the following build(s):

Brave | 1.38.118 Chromium: 101.0.4951.67 (Official Build) (64-bit)
--- | ---
Revision | 8888ee7a24e2c36661ddb9536c35b7d4852a3a98-refs/branch-heads/4951@{#1230}
OS | Android 11; Build/RP1A.200720.012

Went through the STR/Cases outlined via #22777 (comment) but upgraded from 1.38.113 Chromium: 101.0.4951.61 -> 1.38.118 Chromium: 101.0.4951.67. Ensured that the crash wasn't occurring.