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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2011-4259

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
Integer underflow in RealNetworks RealPlayer before 15.0.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted width value in an MPG 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

Integer underflow vulnerability in RealNetworks RealPlayer before version 15.0.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting a malicious width value within an MPG file, leading to heap corruption and code execution.

MitigationUpgrade RealPlayer to version 15.0.0 or later to patch the integer underflow vulnerability. Avoid opening untrusted MPG files from unknown 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:<= 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. Verify if RealPlayer is installed
    Check common installation directories for the RealPlayer executable (e.g., C:\Program Files\RealPlayer on Windows, /Applications on macOS, or search for 'realplay' or 'realplayer' binaries in system). On Windows, also check the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks for installed products.
    Affected if RealPlayer is found on the system
  2. Determine the installed RealPlayer version
    On Windows, locate the RealPlayer.exe file and check its version properties (right-click > Properties > Version tab). Alternatively, launch RealPlayer and navigate to Help > About RealPlayer to view the exact version number.
    Affected if The version number returned is 14.0.7 or lower, or matches any of the following: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10.0, 10.5, 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, or 11.0.2.1744
  3. Confirm the vulnerable MPG processing component exists
    Verify that the RealPlayer MPG codec or demuxer component is present on the system. Check the RealPlayer installation directory for mpgdemux.ax, mpg4c32.dll, or similar MPG handling libraries.
    Affected if MPG handling components are present and the version is in the affected list
  4. Assess MPG file handling exposure
    Review file type associations for .mpg and .mpeg files to confirm RealPlayer is registered as a handler. Check if RealPlayer is set as the default player for MPG files or if users commonly open MPG files with RealPlayer.
    Affected if RealPlayer is configured to handle MPG files and the installed version is vulnerable

A user is affected if RealPlayer is installed with a version at or below 14.0.7, or matching any of the specific affected versions (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10.0, 10.5, 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, 11.0.2.1744), and the application processes MPG 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 or later to patch the integer underflow vulnerability. Avoid opening untrusted MPG files from unknown sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later

  1. 1. Uninstall the current version of RealPlayer if installed
  2. 2. Download RealPlayer version 15.0.0 or later from the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com)
  3. 3. Install the downloaded RealPlayer 15.0.0 or newer version
  4. 4. Verify the installation was successful by checking the version number in the application

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
Get the upgrade done

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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2011-4259 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