CVE-2007-4904 in RealPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
RealNetworks RealPlayer 10.1.0.3114 and earlier, and Helix Player 1.0.6.778 on Fedora Core 6 (FC6) and possibly other platforms, allow user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a malformed .au file that triggers a divide-by-zero error.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4904 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting RealNetworks RealPlayer and Helix Player software across multiple platforms. This vulnerability specifically targets versions 10.1.0.3114 and earlier of RealPlayer, as well as Helix Player 1.0.6.778 running on Fedora Core 6 and potentially other operating systems. The flaw manifests through the processing of malformed .au audio files, which are standard audio file formats used by RealNetworks products. The vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as CWE-369, categorizing it as a divide-by-zero error in a security-sensitive context, which falls under the broader category of input validation weaknesses that can lead to application instability.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves a divide-by-zero error that occurs during the parsing of specially crafted .au files. When the vulnerable media player attempts to process these malformed audio files, the parsing algorithm encounters a mathematical operation where a division by zero occurs, leading to an unhandled exception that causes the application to crash. This type of error represents a classic software bug that can be exploited by remote attackers who can craft malicious audio files to trigger the specific code path that leads to the divide-by-zero condition. The vulnerability is classified as user-assisted remote exploitation because it requires the user to open or play the malicious file, but the actual exploitation can be performed remotely through various delivery mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-4904 extends beyond simple application crashes, as it can be leveraged to disrupt legitimate user activities and potentially serve as a precursor to more sophisticated attacks. When a user opens a maliciously crafted .au file, the RealPlayer application becomes unstable and terminates unexpectedly, which can lead to loss of unsaved work or disruption of media playback sessions. In enterprise environments, this vulnerability could be particularly problematic as it allows attackers to create persistent disruption of media services, especially in scenarios where these players are used for automated media processing or streaming services. The vulnerability also demonstrates a lack of proper error handling and input validation within the media parsing components of these applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by RealNetworks, as well as network-level controls to prevent the delivery of malicious .au files. System administrators should prioritize patching affected systems and consider implementing content filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious audio file formats. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a common pattern in media player exploitation where malformed content triggers application instability. Organizations should also implement proper input validation measures and consider sandboxing media processing applications to limit the potential impact of similar vulnerabilities in the future. Given the age of this vulnerability, it serves as an important example of how inadequate error handling can create security weaknesses that persist across multiple versions of software products.