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RealplayerApplication · Realnetworks

CVE-2013-4973

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-08-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 16.0.2.32 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
Stack-based buffer overflow in RealNetworks RealPlayer before 16.0.3.51, and RealPlayer SP 1.0 through 1.1.5, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted .rmp 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

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in RealPlayer when parsing specially crafted .rmp files. Attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening malicious .rmp files.

MitigationUpgrade RealPlayer to version 16.0.3.51 or later. If upgrading is not possible, instruct users not to open untrusted .rmp files and consider disabling or removing RealPlayer until the patch can be applied.

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:<= 16.0.2.32= 10.0= 10.5= 11.0= 11.0.1= 11.0.2= 11.0.2.1744= 11.0.2.2315= 11.0.3= 11.0.4= 11.0.5= 11.1
Realplayer SpApplication
Affected:= 1.0.0= 1.0.1= 1.0.2= 1.0.5= 1.1= 1.1.1= 1.1.2= 1.1.3= 1.1.4= 1.1.5

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. Check if RealPlayer is installed
    Look for RealPlayer executables in common installation paths: C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Real\RealPlayer\. Also check the Windows Programs and Features list or use 'wmic product get name' command.
    Affected if RealPlayer or RealPlayer SP is found on the system
  2. Determine the installed RealPlayer version
    Open RealPlayer, go to Help > About RealPlayer, or right-click the RealPlayer.exe file and select Properties > Details to view the File Version. Alternatively, check the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\RealNetworks\RealPlayer\Version or HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\RealNetworks\RealPlayer\Version.
    Affected if The installed version matches any of these: <= 16.0.2.32, = 10.0, = 10.5, = 11.0, = 11.0.1, = 11.0.2, = 11.0.2.1744, = 11.0.2.2315, = 11.0.3, = 11.0.4, = 11.0.5, = 11.1 (for RealPlayer) or = 1.0.0, = 1.0.1, = 1.0.2, = 1.0.5, = 1.1, = 1.1.1, = 1.1.2, = 1.1.3, = 1.1.4, = 1.1.5 (for RealPlayer SP)
  3. Verify .rmp file handling capability
    Check if RealPlayer has .rmp file association registered. Look in Windows Registry under HKCR\.rmp or check the file type associations in RealPlayer settings. The vulnerability triggers when RealPlayer parses specially crafted .rmp files.
    Affected if RealPlayer is installed and capable of opening or previewing .rmp files, even if not actively used

You are affected if RealPlayer or RealPlayer SP is installed with any version matching the affected list AND the application can process .rmp 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 16.0.2.32
Interim mitigation

Upgrade RealPlayer to version 16.0.3.51 or later. If upgrading is not possible, instruct users not to open untrusted .rmp files and consider disabling or removing RealPlayer until the patch can be applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

RealPlayer 16.0.3.51 or later; RealPlayer SP version newer than 1.1.5

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed RealPlayer version by opening the application and checking 'About RealPlayer' in the Help menu
  2. 2. For RealPlayer (standard version): Navigate to the official RealPlayer download page at service.real.com and download version 16.0.3.51 or later
  3. 3. For RealPlayer SP: Download the latest version available from service.real.com (version must be newer than 1.1.5)
  4. 4. Uninstall the current RealPlayer installation via Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features
  5. 5. Run the installer for the new version (16.0.3.51 or later for standard RealPlayer)
  6. 6. Restart the system after installation completes
  7. 7. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release (16.0.3.51)
Caveat Users should back up playlists and preferences before uninstalling, as a clean install is recommended. Some older .rmp file associations may need to be reconfigured.

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

Fix this in Realplayer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2013-4973 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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