NullPointerException while initializing org.springframework.orm.hibernate4.LocalSessionFactoryBean - spring

Question

hibernate-cfg.xml:
<context:property-placeholder location="classpath*:config/db/database.properties"/>
<!-- DataSource -->
<bean id="dataSource" class="org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.DriverManagerDataSource">
<property name="driverClassName" value="${jdbc.driverClassName}" />
<property name="url" value="${jdbc.url}" />
<property name="username" value="${jdbc.username}" />
<property name="password" value="${jdbc.password}" />
</bean>
<!-- Hibernate session factory -->
<bean id="sessionFactory" class="org.springframework.orm.hibernate4.LocalSessionFactoryBean">
<property name="dataSource" ref="dataSource"/>
<property name="hibernateProperties">
<props>
<prop key="hibernate.dialect">org.hibernate.dialect.MySQLDialect</prop>
<prop key="hibernate.show_sql">true</prop>
</props>
</property>
<property name="mappingResources">
<list>
<value>classpath:config/db/mapping/userdetails.hbm.xml</value>
</list>
</property>
</bean>
Error while starting tomcat:
>WARNING: Exception encountered during context initialization - cancelling refresh attempt: org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'sessionFactory' defined in URL [file:/D:/workspace/project/test/.metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.wst.server.core/tmp0/wtpwebapps/testWeb/WEB-INF/classes/config/db/hibernate-cfg.xml]: Invocation of init method failed; nested exception is java.lang.NullPointerException
May 08, 2016 10:02:02 AM org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader initWebApplicationContext
SEVERE: Context initialization failed
org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'sessionFactory' defined in URL [file:/D:/workspace/project/test/.metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.wst.server.core/tmp0/wtpwebapps/testWeb/WEB-INF/classes/config/db/hibernate-cfg.xml]: Invocation of init method failed; nested exception is java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.initializeBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1578)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:545)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:482)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory$1.getObject(AbstractBeanFactory.java:306)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.getSingleton(DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.java:230)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.doGetBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:302)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:197)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory.preInstantiateSingletons(DefaultListableBeanFactory.java:753)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.finishBeanFactoryInitialization(AbstractApplicationContext.java:839)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:538)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader.configureAndRefreshWebApplicationContext(ContextLoader.java:444)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader.initWebApplicationContext(ContextLoader.java:326)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener.contextInitialized(ContextLoaderListener.java:107)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.listenerStart(StandardContext.java:4812)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5255)
at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:147)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1408)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1398)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.hibernate.boot.registry.classloading.internal.ClassLoaderServiceImpl$AggregatedClassLoader.getResources(ClassLoaderServiceImpl.java:173)
at java.util.ServiceLoader$LazyIterator.hasNext(Unknown Source)
at java.util.ServiceLoader$1.hasNext(Unknown Source)
at org.hibernate.boot.registry.classloading.internal.ClassLoaderServiceImpl.loadJavaServices(ClassLoaderServiceImpl.java:340)
at org.hibernate.integrator.internal.IntegratorServiceImpl.(IntegratorServiceImpl.java:40)
at org.hibernate.boot.registry.BootstrapServiceRegistryBuilder.build(BootstrapServiceRegistryBuilder.java:213)
at org.hibernate.cfg.Configuration.(Configuration.java:119)
at org.springframework.orm.hibernate4.LocalSessionFactoryBuilder.(LocalSessionFactoryBuilder.java:140)
at org.springframework.orm.hibernate4.LocalSessionFactoryBean.afterPropertiesSet(LocalSessionFactoryBean.java:343)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.invokeInitMethods(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1637)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.initializeBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1574)
... 22 more
Please help to solve the issue.
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Just set a breakpoint at AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java, line number 1578 (make sure you have downloaded the Spring source, in IDEA you can download sources by pressing the "Download sources" button in the Maven tool window), and you will find out what exactly occured.
Or specify your Spring version (spring-beans, where the class AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory is located).

Answer 2

It works after moving all the jars to WEB-INF/lib.
Thanks.