CVE-2011-4254
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 · uneditedRealNetworks RealPlayer before 15.0.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted RTSP SETUP request.
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 confidenceRealNetworks RealPlayer before version 15.0.0 contains a vulnerability in its RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) handler. The vulnerability is triggered by a specially crafted SETUP request, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target system without authentication.
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<= 14.0.7= 4= 5= 6= 7= 8= 10.0= 10.5= 11.0= 11.0.1= 11.0.2= 11.0.2.1744CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm RealPlayer installationSearch for RealPlayer executable on the system - typical installation directories include Program Files/RealNetworks or check registry for RealPlayer entriesAffected if RealPlayer is not found on the system (not affected)
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Identify installed RealPlayer versionAccess RealPlayer help menu or about dialog, or check Add/Remove Programs for the version numberAffected if Unable to determine version (assume potentially affected)
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Compare version against affected rangesMatch the installed version to the list: versions 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10.0, 10.5, 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, 11.0.2.1744, or any version 14.0.7 and belowAffected if Installed version matches one of the listed affected versions
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Verify RTSP protocol handler statusCheck if RTSP (realplayer:// or rtsp://) protocol handler is registered and enabled in RealPlayer settings or system registryAffected if RTSP handler is enabled - this is the attack surface for the vulnerability
User is affected if RealPlayer is installed with a version in the list (4,5,6,7,8,10.0,10.5,11.0,11.0.1,11.0.2,11.0.2.1744, or <=14.0.7) AND the RTSP protocol handler is enabled to process incoming SETUP requests
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedUpdate RealPlayer to version 15.0.0 or later. If updating is not feasible, block RTSP protocol traffic at the network perimeter as a compensating control.
RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later
- Verify the current installed version of RealPlayer by opening the application and checking About/Preferences
- Uninstall the current version of RealPlayer through the system's Add/Remove Programs or Applications manager
- Download RealPlayer version 15.0.0 or later from the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com)
- Install the downloaded RealPlayer version 15.0.0 or later
- Verify the installation was successful and confirm the new version number
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-4254 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2011-4254 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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
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