CVE-2011-2955 in RealPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in RealNetworks RealPlayer 11.0 through 11.1 and 14.0.0 through 14.0.5, RealPlayer SP 1.0 through 1.1.5, and RealPlayer Enterprise 2.0 through 2.1.5, when an Embedded RealPlayer is used, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to a modal dialog.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2021
The CVE-2011-2955 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw affecting multiple versions of RealNetworks RealPlayer software across different product lines including the standard RealPlayer, RealPlayer SP, and RealPlayer Enterprise editions. This vulnerability specifically manifests when an Embedded RealPlayer component is utilized, creating a dangerous condition where memory that has been freed is still being accessed by the application. The flaw resides in how the software handles modal dialog operations within the embedded player context, allowing malicious actors to manipulate memory state through carefully crafted input that triggers the vulnerable code path.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic use-after-free attack pattern where an attacker crafts malicious content that, when processed by the vulnerable RealPlayer version, causes the application to free a memory block while maintaining references to it. When subsequent operations attempt to access this freed memory location, the attacker can control the execution flow by overwriting the freed memory with malicious code or by redirecting program execution to previously allocated but now corrupted memory segments. This particular variant leverages modal dialog handling as the attack vector, suggesting that the vulnerability exists in how the software manages user interface elements during playback operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as it provides remote attackers with complete system compromise capabilities. The ability to execute arbitrary code remotely means that attackers can install malware, modify system files, establish persistence mechanisms, or escalate privileges without requiring local system access. The widespread adoption of RealPlayer across various platforms and the embedded nature of the vulnerability make it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through web browsing, email attachments, or any content that utilizes the embedded player functionality. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions and represents a significant risk to enterprise environments where RealPlayer is deployed.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2955 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. The primary recommendation involves immediate patching of all affected RealPlayer versions, as RealNetworks released security updates specifically addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit exposure, disable embedded player functionality where possible, and deploy application whitelisting solutions to prevent unauthorized execution of vulnerable software versions. Security monitoring should focus on detecting anomalous memory access patterns and unusual network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices and highlights the need for comprehensive input validation in multimedia applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059 for execution through command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for multimedia content processing and regularly audit their software inventory to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other media players and multimedia frameworks.