Broad Exception Catch (ARCH4153)

Key java.logging.catch-generic-exception · Severity info · Category logging

Catching the most general type such as Exception or Throwable silently absorbs unexpected errors (for example a NullPointerException) and masks the real problem. Catch only the specific types you can handle.

Incorrect

try {
    return parse(input);
} catch (Exception e) {
    log.warn("Parse failed", e);
    return fallback;
}

Correct

try {
    return parse(input);
} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
    log.warn("Invalid number format: {}", input, e);
    return fallback;
}

Fix

Catch only the specific exception types you can meaningfully handle instead of Exception/Throwable.