dbcve.org
Advance SteelApplication · Autodesk

CVE-2021-27042

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-06-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2019.1.3 / 2020.1.4 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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
A maliciously crafted DWG file can be used to write beyond the allocated buffer while parsing DWG files. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to handle a crafted DWG file, which causes an unhandled exception. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code.

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 · moderate confidence

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the DWG file parsing functionality. When processing a maliciously crafted DWG file, the application writes beyond the allocated buffer boundaries due to insufficient bounds checking, leading to potential arbitrary code execution.

MitigationApply vendor patches or updates to the affected software. Until a patch is available, implement input validation and restrict processing of untrusted DWG files.

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
Advance SteelApplication
Affected:>= 2019, < 2019.1.3>= 2020, < 2020.1.4>= 2021, < 2021.1.1>= 2022, < 2022.0.1
AutocadApplication
Affected:>= 2019, < 2019.1.3>= 2020, < 2020.1.4>= 2021, < 2021.1.1>= 2022, < 2022.0.1
Autocad ArchitectureApplication
Affected:>= 2019, < 2019.1.3>= 2020, < 2020.1.4>= 2021, < 2021.1.1>= 2022, <= 2022.0.1
Autocad ElectricalApplication
Affected:>= 2019, < 2019.1.3>= 2020, < 2020.1.4>= 2021, < 2021.1.1>= 2022, < 2022.0.1
Autocad LtApplication
Affected:>= 2019, < 2019.1.3>= 2020, < 2020.1.4>= 2021, < 2021.1.1>= 2022, < 2022.0.1
Autocad Map 3dApplication
Affected:>= 2019, < 2019.1.3>= 2020, < 2020.1.4>= 2021, < 2021.1.1>= 2022, < 2022.0.1
Autocad MechanicalApplication
Affected:>= 2019, < 2019.1.3>= 2020, < 2020.1.4>= 2021, < 2021.1.1>= 2022, < 2022.0.1
Autocad MepApplication
Affected:>= 2019, < 2019.1.3>= 2020, < 2020.1.4>= 2021, < 2021.1.1>= 2022, < 2022.0.1

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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. Identify installed Autodesk product
    Open the application and check About/ Help menu, or look in Windows Programs and Features list for the specific product name (e.g., AutoCAD 2021, AutoCAD Architecture 2020)
    Affected if Any of these products are installed: Advance Steel, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD Map 3D, AutoCAD Mechanical, or AutoCAD MEP
  2. Determine the exact version and release number
    In the application, type 'About' at the command prompt, or check the Help > About window. Note both the year version (e.g., 2021) and the full version/build number displayed (e.g., 2021.1.0)
    Affected if The version falls within any of these ranges: >= 2019 but < 2019.1.3; >= 2020 but < 2020.1.4; >= 2021 but < 2021.1.1; >= 2022 but < 2022.0.1
  3. Confirm DWG file processing is in use
    Check if the system is used to open, import, or process DWG drawing files, particularly from external or untrusted sources
    Affected if The software regularly opens DWG files from sources outside your organization or processes DWG files as part of automated workflows
  4. Review recent file opening activity
    Examine the application's recent documents or temporary folders for DWG files that may have been opened
    Affected if DWG files have been opened recently, indicating the parsing functionality is active and could trigger the vulnerability

Your environment is affected if you have any of the listed Autodesk products installed with a version number less than 2019.1.3, 2020.1.4, 2021.1.1, or 2022.0.1, and you process DWG 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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2019.1.3 / 2020.1.4 / 2021.1.1 or later
Fixed in 2019.1.32020.1.42021.1.1
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor patches or updates to the affected software. Until a patch is available, implement input validation and restrict processing of untrusted DWG files.

Fix this in Advance Steel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,960.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-27042 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2021-27042 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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.

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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data