CVE-2010-2996
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 · uneditedArray index error in RealNetworks RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1 on Windows allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed header in a RealMedia .IVR file.
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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in RealPlayer 11.0-11.1 on Windows where parsing malformed headers in RealMedia .IVR files triggers an array index error, allowing remote code execution.
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= 11.0= 11.1CVSS 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
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm RealPlayer installationCheck for RealPlayer in Windows by looking in Add/Remove Programs, or check the installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer or C:\Program Files (x86)\Real\RealPlayer). Also check the Windows registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks for RealPlayer entries.Affected if RealPlayer is found on the system
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Identify installed RealPlayer versionOpen RealPlayer, go to Help > About RealPlayer to display the exact version number. Alternatively, right-click the RealPlayer executable in the installation folder, select Properties, and view the File Version info.Affected if Version displayed is exactly 11.0 or 11.1
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Verify .IVR file associationCheck if .IVR file type is associated with RealPlayer. In Windows Explorer, navigate to a folder containing an .IVR file, right-click, select Properties, and verify the program listed under 'Opens with'. Or check Windows registry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.IVR for the file association.Affected if RealPlayer is the default handler for .IVR files (this confirms the vulnerable parsing code can be triggered)
If RealPlayer version 11.0 or 11.1 is installed and .IVR files are associated with RealPlayer, the system is vulnerable to this CVE.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade RealPlayer to version 11.1.1 or later, or remove RealPlayer if unnecessary. Deploy endpoint protection and restrict handling of untrusted .IVR files.
RealPlayer 14.0.7 or later (any version beyond 11.1 that includes the security fix)
- 1. Uninstall RealPlayer 11.0 or 11.1 from the affected Windows system
- 2. Download RealPlayer 14.0.7 or later from the official RealNetworks download page (service.real.com)
- 3. Verify the downloaded installer file integrity if possible
- 4. Install the newer version of RealPlayer
- 5. Test that media playback functions correctly with the new version
- 6. Ensure automatic updates are enabled to receive future security patches
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-2996 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-2996 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data