CVE-2011-2945 in RealPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in RealNetworks RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1 and 14.0.0 through 14.0.5 and RealPlayer SP 1.0 through 1.1.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted SIPR stream.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2945 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow affecting multiple versions of RealNetworks RealPlayer software. This flaw exists within the media player's handling of SIPR (Speech Interchange File Format) streams, which are commonly used for audio compression in various multimedia applications. The vulnerability affects RealPlayer versions 11.0 through 11.1, 14.0.0 through 14.0.5, and RealPlayer SP versions 1.0 through 1.1.5, making it a widespread issue across several software releases. The heap-based nature of this buffer overflow indicates that the vulnerability occurs when the application attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries in the heap memory region, potentially leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a remote attacker to craft a specially designed SIPR stream that triggers the buffer overflow condition during media processing. When RealPlayer attempts to parse and decode this malformed stream, the insufficient bounds checking in the SIPR decoder causes data to overwrite adjacent memory locations within the heap. This memory corruption can result in arbitrary code execution, allowing attackers to gain control over the affected system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through remote delivery of malicious media content, making it suitable for drive-by download attacks and network-based exploitation without requiring user interaction beyond opening the media file. The flaw aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite heap memory.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-2945 extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with full system compromise capabilities. Successful exploitation can enable unauthorized access to sensitive data, system file manipulation, privilege escalation, and persistent backdoor installation. Organizations using affected RealPlayer versions face significant security risks, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted media content through email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target users without requiring physical access to the system, making it a preferred vector for large-scale attacks. This vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in multimedia processing applications, as the flaw originates from inadequate bounds checking during SIPR stream parsing.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2945 should include immediate patching of affected RealPlayer versions, as RealNetworks released security updates to address this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation and content filtering to prevent the delivery of potentially malicious SIPR streams, particularly in environments where user access to untrusted media content is possible. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual network traffic patterns or file access attempts related to media processing activities. System hardening measures including disabling unnecessary multimedia codecs, implementing application whitelisting policies, and restricting user privileges can reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation. Additionally, regular security assessments should verify that all media processing applications are updated with the latest security patches and that proper memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization are enabled. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date multimedia software and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against remote code execution vulnerabilities in widely used media players.