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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2010-4376

HIGH · 9.3 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 →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Heap-based buffer overflow in RealNetworks RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1, RealPlayer SP 1.0 through 1.1.1, Mac RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1, and Linux RealPlayer 11.0.2.1744 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a large Screen Width value in the Screen Descriptor header of a GIF87a file in an RTSP stream.

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

Heap-based buffer overflow in RealPlayer when parsing a GIF87a file with an oversized Screen Width value in the Screen Descriptor header delivered via RTSP stream, allowing remote code execution.

MitigationUpgrade to a patched version of RealPlayer or, if the software is end-of-life and unpatched, uninstall or block RTSP traffic to prevent exploitation.

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

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check if RealPlayer is installed
    Look for RealPlayer executable on the system - typical locations include Program Files/Real or check the system for installed programs via registry or installed programs list
    Affected if RealPlayer is present on the system
  2. Determine the installed RealPlayer version
    Open RealPlayer and check About/Version information, or right-click the executable and view Properties Details. Compare the version number to the affected versions: RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1 (including 11.0.2.1744) and RealPlayer SP 1.0.0 through 1.1.1
    Affected if The installed version matches one of the affected versions listed in the CVE (11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, 11.0.3, 11.0.4, 11.0.5, 11.1, 11.0.2.1744 for standard RealPlayer, or 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.0.5, 1.1, 1.1.1 for RealPlayer SP)
  3. Check if RTSP streaming is enabled or used
    Examine RealPlayer settings or network configuration for RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) handling. RTSP uses port 554 typically - check if the application is configured to handle rtsp:// URLs or streams
    Affected if RTSP streaming functionality is enabled and the application processes incoming RTSP streams containing GIF content
  4. Verify GIF format parsing is active
    Check if RealPlayer has GIF parsing capabilities enabled. The vulnerability specifically triggers when processing GIF87a files with oversized Screen Width values in the Screen Descriptor header delivered via RTSP
    Affected if RealPlayer can process GIF files received through RTSP streams

The system is affected if RealPlayer (standard version 11.0-11.1 or SP version 1.0.0-1.1.1) is installed, the version matches the affected list, and RTSP streaming with GIF parsing is enabled to process incoming malicious GIF87a 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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to a patched version of RealPlayer or, if the software is end-of-life and unpatched, uninstall or block RTSP traffic to prevent exploitation.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

RealPlayer 14 or latest available version (successor to vulnerable 11.x/1.x releases)

  1. 1. Uninstall the current version of RealPlayer (11.0-11.1 or SP 1.0-1.1.1) from the system.
  2. 2. Navigate to the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com) or trusted download source.
  3. 3. Download the latest available RealPlayer version (RealPlayer 14 or newer).
  4. 4. Install the latest version following the installation wizard prompts.
  5. 5. Verify the installed version by checking Help > About RealPlayer.
  6. 6. Test that the application functions normally with your typical media files.
Caveat Newer RealPlayer versions may have modified UI or removed legacy format support; ensure compatibility with your use case before full deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2010-4376 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
  • 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