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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2010-4380

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 1.1.4, and RealPlayer Enterprise 2.1.2 allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via a crafted SOUND 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 confidence

Heap-based buffer overflow in RealPlayer's parsing of crafted SOUND files allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a specially malformed audio file. The vulnerability affects specific versions (11.0-11.1, SP 1.0-1.1.4, Enterprise 2.1.2) of the RealPlayer media player.

MitigationDiscontinue use of vulnerable RealPlayer versions and migrate to supported media players, or apply vendor patches if available. Avoid opening untrusted SOUND files from unknown sources.

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= 2.1.2
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
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 if RealPlayer is installed
    Check for RealPlayer installation via program listings, file system, or registry entries (depending on OS). Look for executables named RealPlayer, RealPlay, or rvupd.exe in typical installation directories.
    Affected if RealPlayer software is found on the system
  2. Identify the installed RealPlayer version
    Access the application's About or Help section to view the exact version number, or check the executable file properties for version information.
    Affected if The installed version matches one of the affected versions: RealPlayer 11.0-11.1, 2.1.2, or RealPlayer SP 1.0.0-1.1.4
  3. Confirm SOUND file handling capability is present
    Verify that RealPlayer's audio file parsing components are available. Check whether the application can handle SOUND file types or has the relevant codecs/modules loaded.
    Affected if SOUND file parsing functionality exists in the installed RealPlayer version
  4. Check for active SOUND file associations
    Review which file types are associated with RealPlayer. Look for .snd, .sound, or audio file extensions that may be handled by the vulnerable parsing code.
    Affected if RealPlayer is associated with processing audio/SOUND file types

A user is affected if RealPlayer (versions 11.0-11.1, SP 1.0-1.1.4, or Enterprise 2.1.2) is installed and the SOUND file parsing feature is present and accessible.

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

Discontinue use of vulnerable RealPlayer versions and migrate to supported media players, or apply vendor patches if available. Avoid opening untrusted SOUND files from unknown sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

RealPlayer 11.1 or later (if available from vendor); otherwise migrate to an actively-supported alternative media player

  1. 1. Navigate to the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com) or use the built-in update mechanism in RealPlayer to check for available updates
  2. 2. If an official update is available, download and install the latest RealPlayer version (version 11.1 or later if available)
  3. 3. If no official update is available or RealPlayer is no longer supported, uninstall RealPlayer completely
  4. 4. Select an alternative media player that is actively maintained and receives regular security updates (such as VLC media player, MPC-HC, or native OS media players)
  5. 5. Verify the uninstallation by checking Add/Remove Programs (Windows) or the Applications folder (Mac)
Caveat RealPlayer has been discontinued by RealNetworks; continued use is not recommended. Some legacy features or specific codec support may not be available in alternative players.

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

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $910
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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-2010-4380 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