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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2011-4255

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
Unspecified vulnerability in RealNetworks RealPlayer before 15.0.0 and Mac RealPlayer before 12.0.0.1703 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an invalid codec name.

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

Arbitrary code execution vulnerability in RealPlayer's codec handling mechanism. Attackers exploit an invalid codec name to trigger memory corruption and execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable via malicious media files.

MitigationUpgrade RealPlayer to version 15.0.0 (Windows) or 12.0.0.1703 (Mac). If upgrade is not possible, remove the software and implement compensating controls such as network segmentation and endpoint detection. Restrict media file handling 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:<= 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. Verify if RealPlayer is installed
    Check for RealPlayer installation by searching common installation paths: C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer (Windows) or /Applications/RealPlayer.app (Mac). Alternatively, check Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks or use 'Add/Remove Programs' listing.
    Affected if RealPlayer software is found on the system
  2. Determine installed RealPlayer version number
    In Windows: Right-click RealPlayer.exe, select Properties, then go to the Details tab for version info. On Mac: Right-click RealPlayer.app, select Get Info, look under Version. Also check Help > About RealPlayer in the application menu.
    Affected if Version matches any of these: 4, 5, 6, 7.0, 8.0, 10.0, 10.0.0.305, 10.0.0.331, 10.1, 12.0.0.1569, or falls within 12.0.0.0 through 12.0.0.1701, or 14.0.0 through 14.0.7
  3. Confirm codec handling feature is active
    RealPlayer's codec handling is a core component enabled by default. Verify the application can process media files by checking if codec-related DLLs exist in the installation directory (e.g., rnacc3ac.ax, codec related files in the RealPlayer folder).
    Affected if RealPlayer is installed and functional with its media processing capabilities intact, meaning the codec handling mechanism is present and enabled
  4. Inspect for untrusted media file handling
    Review user practices for opening media files from untrusted sources. Check browser download folders, email attachments, or shared network locations where users may have downloaded or received media files that could trigger the vulnerability.
    Affected if Users routinely open or process media files from untrusted or unknown sources using RealPlayer, enabling the attack vector for this vulnerability

A system is affected if RealPlayer is installed with a version matching 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 <=14.0.7, and the application processes media 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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 14.0.7
Interim mitigation

Upgrade RealPlayer to version 15.0.0 (Windows) or 12.0.0.1703 (Mac). If upgrade is not possible, remove the software and implement compensating controls such as network segmentation and endpoint detection. Restrict media file handling from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

RealPlayer 15.0.0 (Windows) / RealPlayer 12.0.0.1703 (Mac)

  1. 1. Determine the current installed version of RealPlayer by opening the application and checking 'About RealPlayer' in the Help menu
  2. 2. For Windows users: Download and install RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later from the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com)
  3. 3. For Mac users: Download and install RealPlayer 12.0.0.1703 or later from the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com)
  4. 4. After installation, verify the new version number matches or exceeds the fixed release
  5. 5. Restart any running instances of RealPlayer and test media playback to confirm functionality
Caveat Users should back up any saved playlists, preferences, or downloaded media before upgrading; some legacy codec support may have changed in the newer version

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

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
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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-2011-4255 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