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Realone PlayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2002-1321

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2002-12-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Multiple buffer overflows in RealOne and RealPlayer allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) file with a long parameter, (2) a long long filename in a rtsp:// request, e.g. from a .m3u file, or (3) certain "Now Playing" options on a downloaded file with a long filename.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Multiple buffer overflow vulnerabilities in RealOne and RealPlayer allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via specially crafted SMIL files with long parameters, long filenames in rtsp:// requests (such as from .m3u playlist files), or 'Now Playing' options containing long filenames. The overflow occurs due to insufficient bounds checking on user-supplied input in the media handling components.

MitigationUpdate to the latest version of RealPlayer to obtain patched binaries, or remove/discontinue use of vulnerable RealPlayer installations. For network-level defense, filter or restrict rtsp:// protocol traffic and implement content disarm and reconstruction for media files.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Realone PlayerApplication
Affected:= 2.0
RealplayerApplication
Affected:all versions= 6.0= 7.0= 8.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify if RealPlayer or RealOne Player is installed
    Check common installation directories: On Windows, look for C:\Program Files\Real\ or check Add/Remove Programs. On Linux, check /usr/bin/realplay or similar locations. Use commands like 'ls' or search the filesystem for 'realplayer', 'realone', or 'rmocx.dll'
    Affected if The software is present on the system
  2. Identify the installed version
    Right-click the RealPlayer/RealOne executable (usually named realplay.exe or OnePlay.exe), select Properties, and check the Version tab. Alternatively, run 'realplay -version' from the command line if available, or look in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks if on Windows
    Affected if The version matches RealOne Player 2.0 or RealPlayer 6.0, 7.0, or 8.0, or is any version of RealPlayer labeled as affected
  3. Confirm SMIL file handling capability
    Check if the system can process .smil files by searching for smil.dll or similar SMIL handling libraries in the RealPlayer installation directory. Attempt to open or parse a .smil file to see if the software attempts to handle it
    Affected if SMIL file handling is active and the version is vulnerable
  4. Verify rtsp:// protocol handler is present
    Check if the system has registered rtsp:// as a handled protocol by RealPlayer. On Windows, check registry keys under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\rtsp for the shell\open\command entry pointing to RealPlayer, or test by attempting to open an rtsp:// URL
    Affected if rtsp:// protocol handling is registered and the version is vulnerable
  5. Check for Now Playing feature usage
    Look for 'Now Playing' functionality in the player interface, check for related registry entries, or examine playlist files (.m3u, .pls) that may be processed by the player. The vulnerability triggers when long filenames appear in playlist contexts
    Affected if Now Playing or playlist functionality processes external filenames and the version is vulnerable

A user is affected if RealOne Player 2.0 or any RealPlayer version 6.0, 7.0, or 8.0 is installed AND the system processes SMIL files, rtsp:// protocol URLs, or playlist files with the Now Playing feature enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update to the latest version of RealPlayer to obtain patched binaries, or remove/discontinue use of vulnerable RealPlayer installations. For network-level defense, filter or restrict rtsp:// protocol traffic and implement content disarm and reconstruction for media files.

Fix this in Realone Player Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2002-1321 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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