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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2011-2951

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2011-08-18
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
Buffer overflow in RealNetworks RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1 and 14.0.0 through 14.0.5, RealPlayer SP 1.0 through 1.1.5, and Mac RealPlayer 12.0.0.1569 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted raw_data_frame field 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

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in RealPlayer versions 11.0-11.1, 14.0.0-14.0.5, RealPlayer SP 1.0-1.1.5, and Mac RealPlayer 12.0.0.1569. The vulnerability is triggered by a specially crafted raw_data_frame field within an AAC audio file, which can lead to arbitrary code execution when the file is processed by the affected RealPlayer versions.

MitigationUpdate RealPlayer to the latest version or apply vendor-provided patches. Until patched, 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= 11.1= 14.0.0= 14.0.1= 14.0.2= 14.0.3= 14.0.4= 14.0.5= 12.0.0.1569
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. Identify installed RealPlayer version
    Open RealPlayer and navigate to Help > About RealPlayer, or check the program's version property in the file system
    Affected if The displayed version matches any of these: 11.0, 11.1, 14.0.0, 14.0.1, 14.0.2, 14.0.3, 14.0.4, 14.0.5, 12.0.0.1569 (Mac), or RealPlayer SP versions 1.0.0 through 1.1.5
  2. Confirm RealPlayer SP variant version
    Check the exact version string for RealPlayer SP installations, as this is listed separately from the main RealPlayer versions
    Affected if The version is any of: 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, or 1.1.5
  3. Identify platform
    Determine if running on Windows or Mac OS X
    Affected if Running Mac RealPlayer version 12.0.0.1569 specifically
  4. Assess AAC file processing usage
    Check if RealPlayer is used to play or process AAC audio files, as the vulnerability is triggered through the raw_data_frame field within these files
    Affected if RealPlayer with an affected version is used to open or process AAC audio files from any source

You are affected if your installed RealPlayer version matches 11.0, 11.1, 14.0.0-14.0.5, RealPlayer SP 1.0-1.1.5, or Mac 12.0.0.1569 AND you process AAC audio 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

Update RealPlayer to the latest version or apply vendor-provided patches. Until patched, avoid opening AAC files from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

RealPlayer 14.0.6 or later (or migrate to alternative media player)

  1. 1. Open RealPlayer and navigate to the Help menu
  2. 2. Select 'Check for Updates' to see if a newer version is available
  3. 3. If automatic update is not available, visit the official RealNetworks website at service.real.com to download the latest version
  4. 4. Download and install RealPlayer 14.0.6 or later version
  5. 5. Alternatively, if RealPlayer is no longer supported, migrate to an alternative media player that supports AAC playback
Caveat RealPlayer has limited ongoing support; consider migrating to alternative media players if no update is available

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

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
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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-2011-2951 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