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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2010-2579

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-12-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
The cook codec in RealNetworks RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1, RealPlayer SP 1.0 through 1.1.4, RealPlayer Enterprise 2.1.2, Mac RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1, and Linux RealPlayer 11.0.2.1744 does not properly initialize the number of channels, which allows attackers to obtain unspecified "memory access" via unknown vectors.

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 · moderate confidence

The cook audio codec in multiple RealPlayer versions fails to properly initialize the number of channels when processing audio data. This uninitialized variable leads to memory access issues when the codec processes malformed audio files, potentially allowing attackers to read or write to memory locations via specially crafted media files.

MitigationUpdate to a patched RealPlayer version if available; otherwise, uninstall or disable the affected RealPlayer installations to eliminate the attack vector.

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
RealplayerApplication
Affected:= 11.0= 11.0.1= 11.0.2= 11.0.3= 11.0.4= 11.0.5= 11.1= 11.0.2.1744
Realplayer SpApplication
Affected:= 1.0.0= 1.0.1= 1.0.2= 1.0.5= 1.1= 1.1.1= 1.1.2= 1.1.3= 1.1.4

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
None
Availability
None

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

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 is installed
    Check the system for RealPlayer installation. On Windows, look in Program Files for 'RealPlayer' folder, or check Add/Remove Programs for RealNetworks entries. On Linux, check for installed packages containing 'realplayer' or 'realplayer' in package manager.
    Affected if RealPlayer is found installed on the system
  2. Identify the installed RealPlayer version
    Locate the RealPlayer executable (typically named 'realplay.exe' or 'realplayer' on Windows/Linux) and check its version properties. Right-click the executable, select Properties, then the Details tab to view the File Version.
    Affected if The version displayed matches any of these: 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, 11.0.3, 11.0.4, 11.0.5, 11.1, 11.0.2.1744, 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.0.5, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, or 1.1.4
  3. Confirm RealPlayer SP variant version
    If RealPlayer SP (Special Purpose) is installed, check its version separately. Look for entries labeled 'RealPlayer SP' in installed programs or check the executable version for SP-specific builds.
    Affected if The SP version matches 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.0.5, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, or 1.1.4
  4. Verify cook codec component presence
    Check for the cook audio codec files within the RealPlayer installation directory. The codec is typically implemented as a DLL file (often named cook.dll or similar audio codec DLLs). Search the RealPlayer folder for files containing 'cook' in the name.
    Affected if The cook codec DLL exists within the RealPlayer installation directory

The environment is affected if RealPlayer (standard or SP variant) is installed with any version matching the affected list, particularly when the cook audio codec component is present and RealPlayer is used to process media files.

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 a patched RealPlayer version if available; otherwise, uninstall or disable the affected RealPlayer installations to eliminate the attack vector.

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2010-2579 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

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