SEVERE: OUI-67073: ApplySession failed: Patch ID is null.

Problem Description
While applying Patch 9119284 - 10.2.0.4.3 Patch Set Update it fails with error message "SEVERE: OUI-67073: ApplySession failed: Patch ID is null" like below.

oracle:/nas/sysadm/oracle/psu/HP/9119284>opatch apply
Invoking OPatch 10.2.0.4.3

Oracle Interim Patch Installer version 10.2.0.4.3
Copyright (c) 2007, Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved.


Oracle Home : /oracledba/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/db
Central Inventory : /oracledba/app/oracle/oraInventory
from : /var/opt/oracle/oraInst.loc
OPatch version : 10.2.0.4.3
OUI version : 10.2.0.4.0
OUI location : /oracledba/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/db/oui
Log file location : /oracledba/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/db/cfgtoollogs/opatch/opatch2010-03-31_01-33-24AM.log

ApplySession failed: Patch ID is null.
System intact, OPatch will not attempt to restore the system

OPatch failed with error code 73

Here goes the contents of /oracledba/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/db/cfgtoollogs/opatch/opatch2010-03-31_01-33-24AM.log

SEVERE:OPatch invoked as follows: 'apply '
INFO:
Oracle Home : /oracledba/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/db
Central Inventory : /oracledba/app/oracle/oraInventory
from : /var/opt/oracle/oraInst.loc
OPatch version : 10.2.0.4.3
OUI version : 10.2.0.4.0
OUI location : /oracledba/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/db/oui
Log file location : /oracledba/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/db/cfgtoollogs/opatch/opatch2010-03-31_01-21-26AM.log

INFO:Starting ApplySession at Wed Mar 31 01:21:28 EDT 2010
INFO:Starting Apply Session at Wed Mar 31 01:21:28 EDT 2010
SEVERE:OUI-67073:ApplySession failed: Patch ID is null.
INFO:System intact, OPatch will not attempt to restore the system
INFO:Finishing ApplySession at Wed Mar 31 01:21:29 EDT 2010
INFO:Total time spent waiting for user-input is 0 seconds. Finish at Wed Mar 31 01:21:29 EDT 2010
INFO:Stack Description: java.lang.RuntimeException: Patch ID is null.
INFO:StackTrace: oracle.opatch.PatchObject.getPatchID(PatchObject.java:543)
INFO:StackTrace: oracle.opatch.ApplySession.loadAndInitPatchObject(ApplySession.java:1488)
INFO:StackTrace: oracle.opatch.ApplySession.process(ApplySession.java:5236)
INFO:StackTrace: oracle.opatch.OPatchSession.main(OPatchSession.java:1588)
INFO:StackTrace: oracle.opatch.OPatch.main(OPatch.java:619)

Cause of the Problem
The problem occured because OPatch version in the $ORACLE_HOME isn't up to date. But this Oracle error message seemed bogus to me. According to me at least it show throw message like
" The version of OPatch is too old to support for this patchset ".

Solution of the Problem
In order to apply "Patch 9119284 - 10.2.0.4.3 Patch Set Update" you must use the OPatch 10.2 version 10.2.0.4.7 or later. Oracle recommends to use the latest released OPatch 10.2, which is available for download from My Oracle Support patch 6880880 by selecting the 10.2.0.0.0 release. After you download that OPatch and install it
try to apply the patch set again.

Related Documents
UtilSession failed: Prerequisite check "CheckActiveFilesAndExecutables" failed
OPatch failed with error code 74 - CheckActiveFilesAndExecutables failed
How to Download Patchset or Opatch from metalink
List of Patchset number in metalink