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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2010-4397

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
Integer overflow in the pnen3260.dll module 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 crafted TIT2 atom in an AAC 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

Integer overflow in the pnen3260.dll module of RealPlayer when parsing AAC files. The vulnerability is triggered by a specially crafted TIT2 atom (metadata container) in an AAC file, which can be exploited to execute arbitrary code via heap overflow.

MitigationUpdate RealPlayer to the latest patched version. Avoid opening AAC files from untrusted 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= 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. Verify RealPlayer is installed
    Check for RealPlayer installation: On Windows, look in Program Files for RealPlayer folder, or check Add/Remove Programs. On Linux, check for realplayer package.
    Affected if RealPlayer is installed and version matches 11.0-11.1 or SP 1.0.0-1.1.1
  2. Determine installed RealPlayer version
    Open RealPlayer, go to Help > About RealPlayer, or check the version in Add/Remove Programs. Compare against affected versions: 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, 11.0.3, 11.0.4, 11.0.5, 11.1, 11.0.2.1744 (RealPlayer) or 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.0.5, 1.1, 1.1.1 (RealPlayer SP).
    Affected if Installed version matches any of the listed affected versions
  3. Locate and verify pnen3260.dll
    Search for pnen3260.dll in the RealPlayer installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer or similar). Check file properties for version info.
    Affected if The pnen3260.dll file exists in the RealPlayer directory, indicating the vulnerable component is present
  4. Confirm AAC file handling capability
    Verify RealPlayer can open AAC files by attempting to play a standard AAC file, or check File > Open for supported formats including .aac
    Affected if RealPlayer is configured to handle AAC files - this is the default behavior and required for the vulnerability to be triggerable

You are affected if RealPlayer (or RealPlayer SP) is installed with a version matching 11.0-11.1 (or 1.0.0-1.1.1 for SP) and the application can process AAC files, as the integer overflow in pnen3260.dll will trigger when parsing malformed TIT2 metadata.

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. Avoid opening AAC files from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

RealPlayer 18.1.7 (latest available version)

  1. 1. Navigate to the official RealPlayer download page at service.real.com
  2. 2. Download the latest version of RealPlayer available (RealPlayer 18.1.7 or later)
  3. 3. Uninstall all affected versions of RealPlayer (11.0 through 11.0.3 and SP 1.0.0 through 1.0.5)
  4. 4. Install the latest RealPlayer version
  5. 5. Verify the installation by checking Help > About RealPlayer
  6. 6. Test with a legitimate AAC file to confirm playback functionality works
Caveat RealPlayer is no longer actively maintained; ensure any media files are from trusted sources and consider migrating to alternative media players if ongoing support is required

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

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
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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-2010-4397 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