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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2011-4251

HIGH · 9.3 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
RealNetworks RealPlayer before 15.0.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted sample size in a RealAudio 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 in RealPlayer before version 15.0.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting a RealAudio file with an invalid sample size field. When the media player parses this malformed header, it overflows a buffer and allows code execution.

MitigationUpgrade to RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later to patch the vulnerability. Until then, avoid opening RealAudio files from untrusted sources and consider removing RealPlayer if unused.

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:<= 14.0.7= 4= 5= 6= 7= 8= 10.0= 10.5= 11.0= 11.0.1= 11.0.2= 11.0.2.1744

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. Check if RealPlayer is installed
    Search for RealPlayer executable: On Windows, check C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\RealPlayer.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\Real\RealPlayer\RealPlayer.exe. On Linux, run 'which realplayer' or check /usr/local/realplayer/. Mac OS X: check /Applications/RealPlayer.app/
    Affected if RealPlayer executable exists on the system
  2. Determine the installed RealPlayer version
    Right-click RealPlayer.exe and select Properties, then look at the Version tab. Or launch RealPlayer and go to Help > About RealPlayer to display the version number.
    Affected if Version displayed is 14.0.7 or lower, or matches one of these: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10.0, 10.5, 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, or 11.0.2.1744
  3. Verify the RealAudio parsing component is present
    Confirm RealPlayer includes RealAudio codec support by checking for RAAC.dll or Cook codec files in the RealPlayer installation directory. Also verify RealPlayer can play audio files by attempting to play a standard audio file.
    Affected if RealAudio parsing libraries exist and RealPlayer audio playback is functional
  4. Confirm vulnerability trigger condition
    The vulnerability triggers specifically when RealPlayer parses a RealAudio file containing an invalid sample size field in its header. No special configuration needs to be enabled - the flaw exists in the parsing routine itself.
    Affected if RealPlayer with an affected version can be used to open RealAudio files

If RealPlayer version is 14.0.7 or lower, or matches any of the specific affected versions (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10.0, 10.5, 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, or 11.0.2.1744), the environment is vulnerable when RealAudio file parsing is possible.

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 to RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later to patch the vulnerability. Until then, avoid opening RealAudio files from untrusted sources and consider removing RealPlayer if unused.

Recommended fix High confidence

RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later

  1. 1. Uninstall the current version of RealPlayer if installed
  2. 2. Download RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later from the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com)
  3. 3. Install the downloaded version of RealPlayer
  4. 4. Verify the installed version by checking 'About RealPlayer' in the application menu
Caveat Upgrading to a newer major version may change the user interface and could affect compatibility with older browser plugins or custom skins

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

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2011-4251 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