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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2011-2953

HIGH · 10.0 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
An unspecified ActiveX control in the browser plugin 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 RealPlayer Enterprise 2.0 through 2.1.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors, related to an out-of-bounds condition.

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 · moderate confidence

An unspecified ActiveX control in the RealPlayer browser plugin contains an out-of-bounds memory vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malicious web content. The vulnerability affects multiple RealPlayer versions (11.0-11.1, 14.0.0-14.0.5, SP 1.0-1.1.5, Enterprise 2.0-2.1.5).

MitigationUpgrade RealPlayer to the latest patched version, or disable/remove the affected RealPlayer installation. Consider disabling ActiveX controls in affected browsers as a defense-in-depth measure.

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= 2.0= 2.1= 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
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/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. Locate RealPlayer installation and version
    Check the Windows registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\RealPlayer (or HKCU for user installs), or examine the program folder typically at C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Real\RealPlayer\ for the version.ini or Setup.exe file.
    Affected if The installed version matches 11.0, 11.1, 14.0.0 through 14.0.5, or versions 1.0.0-1.1.5 labeled as RealPlayer SP, or versions 2.0-2.1.5 labeled as RealPlayer Enterprise.
  2. Verify RealPlayer ActiveX control is registered
    Examine the Windows registry for the ActiveX control CLSID under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\ or HKCR\CLSID\. The RealPlayer ActiveX control typically registers under CLSIDs containing 'RealPlayer' or 'RealPlayer' in the ProgID. Use regedit or run: reg query HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID /s | findstr /i "RealPlayer"
    Affected if The ActiveX control CLSID exists in the registry, indicating the browser plugin component is installed.
  3. Confirm browser plugin or addon presence
    Check the browser's extension or addon manager. For Internet Explorer, go to Manage Add-ons and look for 'RealPlayer' or 'RealNetworks' ActiveX controls. For other browsers, check the plugins list (about:plugins in Chrome/Firefox).
    Affected if The RealPlayer ActiveX control or browser plugin appears enabled in the browser's addons or plugins list.
  4. Identify vulnerable ActiveX control file
    Locate the ActiveX DLL file on disk. The control is typically deployed as rpac.dll, rvpnpr.dll, or similar in the RealPlayer installation directory. Check the file properties to confirm it belongs to one of the affected RealPlayer versions listed above.
    Affected if The DLL file exists and its version matches the affected RealPlayer versions (11.0-11.1, 14.0.0-14.0.5, SP 1.0-1.1.5, Enterprise 2.0-2.1.5).

A user is affected if RealPlayer version 11.0-11.1, 14.0.0-14.0.5, SP 1.0-1.1.5, or Enterprise 2.0-2.1.5 is installed AND the RealPlayer ActiveX control is registered and enabled in the browser.

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 RealPlayer to the latest patched version, or disable/remove the affected RealPlayer installation. Consider disabling ActiveX controls in affected browsers as a defense-in-depth measure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

RealPlayer 14.0.7 or later (latest stable RealPlayer)

  1. 1. Uninstall all affected RealPlayer versions (11.0, 11.1, 14.0.0, 14.0.1, RealPlayer SP 1.0.0-1.0.5, and RealPlayer Enterprise 2.0-2.1.5)
  2. 2. Download the latest stable RealPlayer version from the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com)
  3. 3. Install the latest version which contains the security fix for this vulnerability
  4. 4. Verify the installation by checking the RealPlayer version number in Help > About RealPlayer
  5. 5. Ensure browser plugins are updated by restarting the browser

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

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2011-2953 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