CVE-2011-4261
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 or cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption) via crafted video dimensions 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 confidenceHeap memory corruption vulnerability in RealPlayer's MP4 file parser. Attackers craft MP4 files with malicious video dimensions that trigger heap overflow during parsing, allowing arbitrary code execution or denial of service.
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
- 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Locate RealPlayer installation directoryCheck common installation paths: C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\RealPlayer.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\Real\RealPlayer\RealPlayer.exe. On Linux, check /opt/realplayer/ or ~/.realplayer/.Affected if RealPlayer.exe executable exists on the system
-
Identify RealPlayer version numberRight-click RealPlayer.exe, select Properties, then go to the Details tab to view File Version. Alternatively, open RealPlayer and go to Help > About RealPlayer.Affected if Version is 14.0.7 or lower, OR version equals 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10.0, 10.5, 11.0, 11.0.1, 11.0.2, or 11.0.2.1744
-
Verify MP4 file handling capabilityOpen RealPlayer and attempt to play a standard MP4 file, or check File > Open to confirm MP4 is listed as a supported format in the file browser.Affected if MP4 files are recognized and opened by RealPlayer, indicating the vulnerable parser is active
The system is affected if RealPlayer is installed with any version from 4 through 14.0.7 (inclusive) and the MP4 parsing feature is enabled or can be used to open MP4 files.
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 · scopedUpgrade RealPlayer to version 15.0.0 or later. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted MP4 files from unknown sources.
RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later
- 1. Download RealPlayer 15.0.0 or later from the official RealNetworks website (service.real.com)
- 2. Uninstall any existing RealPlayer version
- 3. Install the downloaded RealPlayer 15.0.0 or newer version
- 4. Verify the installed version by checking Help > About RealPlayer
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-4261 — 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-2011-4261 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
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.
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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data