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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2011-4246

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2011-11-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 14.0.7 or later.
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 AAC codec in RealNetworks RealPlayer before 15.0.0 and Mac RealPlayer before 12.0.0.1703 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.

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

The AAC codec in RealPlayer fails to properly handle malformed audio data, leading to memory corruption. An attacker can exploit this by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted media file containing malicious AAC content, potentially achieving arbitrary code execution with the user's privileges.

MitigationUpgrade RealPlayer to version 15.0.0 or later (Windows) or 12.0.0.1703 or later (Mac). If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict handling of untrusted AAC files and disable the codec if feasible.

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:<= 12.0.0.1701= 7.0= 8.0= 10.0= 10.0.0.305= 10.0.0.331= 10.1= 12.0.0.1569<= 14.0.7= 4= 5= 6

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. Check if RealPlayer is installed
    On Windows, check for RealPlayer installation in Program Files (typically C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer or C:\Program Files (x86)\Real\RealPlayer). Also check the Windows Registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks for RealPlayer entries.
    Affected if RealPlayer is found installed on the system
  2. Determine the installed RealPlayer version
    Open RealPlayer, go to Help > About RealPlayer to view the version number. Alternatively, locate the RealPlayer executable (typically realplay.exe), right-click, select Properties, and check the Details tab for the version. You can also check the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks\RealPlayer\12.0\Version or similar version keys.
    Affected if The installed version is 4, 5, 6, 7.0, 8.0, 10.0, 10.0.0.305, 10.0.0.331, 10.1, 12.0.0.1569, or any version <= 12.0.0.1701, or any version <= 14.0.7
  3. Check if AAC codec functionality is present
    Within RealPlayer, navigate to Tools > Options or Preferences > Codec Management. Look for AAC audio codec entries or audio codec listings that include AAC support.
    Affected if The AAC codec module is present and enabled in RealPlayer
  4. Verify RealPlayer is configured to handle AAC files
    Check file associations in RealPlayer: Tools > Options > File Types. Look for .aac, .m4a, or .mp4 file associations. Also check Windows Default Programs or folder options for AAC-related file associations pointing to RealPlayer.
    Affected if RealPlayer is set as the default handler for AAC or related audio file types (m4a, aac, mp4)
  5. Confirm RealPlayer process executable version
    Open Task Manager, locate the realplay.exe process, right-click and select Properties, or use command: wmic product where "name like 'RealPlayer'" get version
    Affected if The running RealPlayer process matches an affected version number

If RealPlayer is installed with an affected version (4, 5, 6, 7.x, 8.x, 10.x, or <= 14.0.7) and the AAC codec is enabled or RealPlayer handles AAC files, the system is vulnerable to CVE-2011-4246.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 14.0.7
Interim mitigation

Upgrade RealPlayer to version 15.0.0 or later (Windows) or 12.0.0.1703 or later (Mac). If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict handling of untrusted AAC files and disable the codec if feasible.

Recommended fix High confidence

RealPlayer 15.0.0 (Windows) / RealPlayer 12.0.0.1703 (Mac)

  1. 1. Determine your current RealPlayer version by opening RealPlayer and navigating to Help > About RealPlayer
  2. 2. For Windows users: Navigate to the official RealPlayer download page at service.real.com or the RealNetworks support site
  3. 3. For Mac users: Ensure you are running RealPlayer version 12.0.0.1703 or later
  4. 4. For Windows users: Download and install RealPlayer version 15.0.0 or later (which contains the patched AAC codec)
  5. 5. For Mac users: Download and install RealPlayer version 12.0.0.1703 or later
  6. 6. After installation, verify the version by checking Help > About RealPlayer to confirm the update was successful

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-2011-4246 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