[Crash] Caused by java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'java.lang.Class java.lang.Object.getClass()' on a null object reference

### [REQUIRED] Step 2: Describe your environment

- Android Studio version: **\_**
- Firebase Component: **\_** Crashlytics
- Component version: **\_** BOM 34.13.0

### [REQUIRED] Step 3: Describe the problem

#### Steps to reproduce:

In our app, we use Firebase Auth for anonymous signin, and recently, we have observed this crash happening on Nexus 5 devices as captured by Crashlytics
Crash stacktrace indicated below
```

Fatal Exception: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{/com.google.android.gms.auth.api.signin.internal.SignInHubActivity}: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'java.lang.Class java.lang.Object.getClass()' on a null object reference

Caused by java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'java.lang.Class java.lang.Object.getClass()' on a null object reference
at com.google.android.gms.auth.api.signin.internal.SignInHubActivity.onCreate(com.google.android.gms:play-services-auth@@20.7.0:23)
at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:8305)
at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:8284)
at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1417)
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:3626)
at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:3782)
at android.app.servertransaction.LaunchActivityItem.execute(LaunchActivityItem.java:101)
at android.app.servertransaction.TransactionExecutor.executeCallbacks(TransactionExecutor.java:135)
at android.app.servertransaction.TransactionExecutor.execute(TransactionExecutor.java:95)
at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:2307)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106)
at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:201)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:288)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:7872)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java)
at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:548)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:936)

```

After inspecting the dependency tree, this particular version of `play-services-auth` is a transitive dependency brought in by the `firebase-auth` dependency

```
+--- com.google.firebase:firebase-auth -> 24.1.0
| | +--- androidx.browser:browser:1.4.0
| | | +--- androidx.collection:collection:1.1.0 -> 1.5.0 (*)
| | | +--- androidx.concurrent:concurrent-futures:1.0.0 -> 1.2.0 (*)
| | | +--- androidx.interpolator:interpolator:1.0.0 (*)
| | | +--- androidx.core:core:1.1.0 -> 1.18.0 (*)
| | | +--- androidx.annotation:annotation:1.1.0 -> 1.9.1 (*)
| | | \--- com.google.guava:listenablefuture:1.0 -> 9999.0-empty-to-avoid-conflict-with-guava
| | +--- androidx.collection:collection:1.0.0 -> 1.5.0 (*)
| | +--- androidx.credentials:credentials:1.2.0-rc01
| | | +--- androidx.annotation:annotation:1.5.0 -> 1.9.1 (*)
| | | +--- org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib:1.8.22 -> 2.3.21 (*)
| | | +--- org.jetbrains.kotlinx:kotlinx-coroutines-core:1.7.1 -> 1.10.2 (*)
| | | \--- androidx.credentials:credentials-play-services-auth:1.2.0-rc01 (c)
| | +--- androidx.credentials:credentials-play-services-auth:1.2.0-rc01
| | | +--- androidx.credentials:credentials:1.2.0-rc01 (*)
| | | +--- com.google.android.gms:play-services-auth:20.7.0
| | | | +--- androidx.fragment:fragment:1.0.0 -> 1.5.4 (*)
| | | | +--- com.google.android.gms:play-services-auth-api-phone:18.0.1 -> 18.0.2
| | | | | +--- com.google.android.gms:play-services-base:18.0.1 -> 18.9.0
| | | | | | +--- androidx.collection:collection:1.0.0 -> 1.5.0 (*)
| | | | | | +--- androidx.core:core:1.9.0 -> 1.18.0 (*)
| | | | | | +--- androidx.fragment:fragment:1.1.0 -> 1.5.4 (*)
| | | | | | +--- com.google.android.gms:play-services-basement:18.9.0
| | | | | | | +--- androidx.collection:collection:1.0.0 -> 1.5.0 (*)
| | | | | | | +--- androidx.core:core:1.2.0 -> 1.18.0 (*)
| | | | | | | \--- androidx.fragment:fragment:1.1.0 -> 1.5.4 (*)
| | | | | | \--- com.google.android.gms:play-services-tasks:18.4.0
| | | | | | \--- com.google.android.gms:play-services-basement:18.8.0 -> 18.9.0 (*)
| | | | | +--- com.google.android.gms:play-services-basement:18.0.2 -> 18.9.0 (*)
| | | | | \--- com.google.android.gms:play-services-tasks:18.0.1 -> 18.4.0 (*)
| | | | +--- com.google.android.gms:play-services-auth-base:18.0.4
```

Device
Brand:Google
Model:Nexus 5X
Orientation:Portrait
RAM free: 699.7 MB
Disk free: 4.9 GB

Operating System
Version:Android 13
Orientation:Portrait
Rooted: No

Start with the reported stack trace at com.google.android.gms.auth.api.signin.internal.SignInHubActivity.onCreate and inspect how firebase-auth 24.1.0 brings in play-services-auth 20.7.0. Try to reproduce the crash on the reported Nexus 5X and Android 13 environment. Done means the cause is confirmed and a resolution or actionable upstream finding is documented.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.