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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2010-4378

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
The drv2.dll (aka RV20 decompression) module in RealNetworks RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1, RealPlayer SP 1.0 through 1.1.5, RealPlayer Enterprise 2.1.2 and 2.1.3, Linux RealPlayer 11.0.2.1744, and possibly HelixPlayer 1.0.6 and other versions, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption) via a crafted value of an unspecified length field in an RV20 video 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 memory corruption vulnerability in the RV20 video decompression module (drv2.dll) of RealPlayer allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted length field value in RV20 video streams. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of length parameters during video stream parsing, leading to heap buffer overflow.

MitigationUpdate RealPlayer to the latest patched version. If patching is not immediately possible, restrict handling of untrusted RV20 video files and consider disabling RealPlayer until the update can be applied.

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= 2.1.2= 2.1.3
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= 1.1.5

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. Verify RealPlayer installation
    Check for RealPlayer installation by searching for 'RealPlayer' or 'RealPlayer' in Program Files directories, or look for the application in Add/Remove Programs. Common paths include C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\ or C:\Program Files\RealNetworks\RealPlayer\
    Affected if RealPlayer is not installed on the system
  2. Identify installed RealPlayer version
    Right-click on the RealPlayer executable (RealPlay.exe), select Properties, and view the Version tab. Alternatively, open RealPlayer and go to Help > About RealPlayer to display the exact version number.
    Affected if The installed version matches any of the following: 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, 11.0.3, 11.0.4, 11.0.5, 11.1, 11.0.2.1744, 2.1.2, 2.1.3 (RealPlayer) or 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, 1.1.5 (RealPlayer SP)
  3. Confirm RV20 decoder module presence
    Locate the drv2.dll file in the RealPlayer installation directory. This file is the RV20 video decompression module where the vulnerability exists.
    Affected if The drv2.dll file exists in the RealPlayer installation folder, indicating the vulnerable RV20 decoder is present
  4. Check RealPlayer file associations for RV20
    Examine RealPlayer's file type associations or open a .rv or .rm video file to verify RealPlayer handles RV20-encoded content. Check Tools > Options > File Types in RealPlayer to see registered video formats.
    Affected if RealPlayer is configured to handle RV20 video streams or .rv/.rm video files are associated with RealPlayer

The environment is affected if RealPlayer or RealPlayer SP is installed with any version matching the affected list AND the application handles or can process RV20 video content.

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

Update RealPlayer to the latest patched version. If patching is not immediately possible, restrict handling of untrusted RV20 video files and consider disabling RealPlayer until the update can be applied.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

RealPlayer 15 (or latest stable release available from RealNetworks)

  1. 1. Uninstall the affected RealPlayer version (11.0.x or SP 1.0.x) from the system
  2. 2. Download the latest stable RealPlayer version from the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com)
  3. 3. Verify the downloaded installer matches the official file hash if available
  4. 4. Install the latest RealPlayer version (recommended: RealPlayer 15 or latest available)
  5. 5. Restart any running RealPlayer instances
  6. 6. Test that video playback works correctly, especially RV20 encoded content
Caveat Legacy codec support may differ; verify compatibility with specific RV20 streams if needed

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

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,800
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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-2010-4378 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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