dbcve.org
RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2011-4260

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 malformed header in an MP4 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

RealPlayer before version 15.0.0 contains a memory corruption vulnerability when parsing malformed MP4 file headers, allowing remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution via a specially crafted MP4 file.

MitigationUpgrade RealPlayer to version 15.0.0 or later. In enterprise environments, deploy the upgrade via patch management and verify complete coverage across all endpoints.

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 RealPlayer installation
    Check for RealPlayer installation in typical locations: C:\Program Files\RealPlayer\RealPlayer.exe on Windows, or /Applications/RealPlayer.app on macOS. Also check Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks\RealPlayer or HKCU\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks\RealPlayer.
    Affected if RealPlayer is found installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Right-click RealPlayer.exe, select Properties, then view the Details tab for Product Version. On Windows, also query: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks\RealPlayer" /v Version or check the version info displayed in the RealPlayer About dialog (Help > About RealPlayer).
    Affected if Version displayed is 14.0.7 or lower, or any 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. Confirm MP4 playback capability
    Open RealPlayer and attempt to play any MP4 file, or check File > Open > Open File type dropdown for MP4 (.mp4) support, or inspect file associations in RealPlayer preferences.
    Affected if RealPlayer can open or play MP4 files and the version is in the affected range
  4. Identify if RealPlayer is configured as default media handler
    Check Windows Default Programs (Set Default Programs) or examine registry keys under HKCR\.mp4\OpenWithProgids to see if RealPlayer is listed as a handler for MP4 files.
    Affected if RealPlayer is set as a default handler for MP4 files and version is below 15.0.0

If RealPlayer is installed with any version below 15.0.0 and is capable of handling MP4 files, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.

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. In enterprise environments, deploy the upgrade via patch management and verify complete coverage across all endpoints.

Recommended fix High confidence

RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later

  1. 1. Determine the current RealPlayer version by opening the application and checking About/Preferences
  2. 2. If version is 14.0.7 or earlier, uninstall the current RealPlayer installation
  3. 3. Navigate to the official RealNetworks download page at service.real.com
  4. 4. Download RealPlayer version 15.0.0 or later (the fixed release)
  5. 5. Install the new version following the on-screen prompts
  6. 6. Verify the installed version is 15.0.0 or higher

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
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-4260 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2011-4260 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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