The real problem was nm-system-settings returning non-null zero-length secrets over dbus (secrets that should not have been returned at all). However, the latest nm-system-settings (from svn) works correctly, fixing the original bug (without the need for my patch).
The bug was apparently fixed upstream sometime in the last few months, but I have no idea exactly when.
FYI, the bug no longer exists upstream (which does not have my patch).
Please see comment #12 on the upstream bug: http:// bugzilla. gnome.org/ show_bug. cgi?id= 564709
The real problem was nm-system-settings returning non-null zero-length secrets over dbus (secrets that should not have been returned at all). However, the latest nm-system-settings (from svn) works correctly, fixing the original bug (without the need for my patch).
The bug was apparently fixed upstream sometime in the last few months, but I have no idea exactly when.