CVE-2021-34905
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 · uneditedThis vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Bentley View 10.15.0.75. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of DGN files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-14878.
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 confidenceHeap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Bentley View's DGN file parser. The issue results from missing length validation before copying user-supplied data to a heap buffer, allowing arbitrary code execution in the current process context.
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< 10.16.02< 10.16.02CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Bentley productCheck Add/Remove Programs or program directory for Bentley View or MicroStation installationAffected if Either Bentley View or MicroStation is installed
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Check installed version numberRight-click the executable (typically bentleyview.exe or MicroStation.exe), select Properties, and verify the File Version under the Details tabAffected if Version is lower than 10.16.02 (e.g., 10.15.x, 10.14.x, etc.)
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Verify DGN file handling is enabledCheck program settings or file associations for .dgn file type support - look for DGN import/preview options in the application's preferences or settingsAffected if DGN file parsing or preview features are enabled
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Confirm DGN files are used in the environmentSearch for .dgn files in user-accessible directories or check recent documents within the applicationAffected if Users regularly open or preview DGN files from potentially untrusted sources
Environment is affected if Bentley View or MicroStation version is below 10.16.02 and the DGN file parser/preview feature is active.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped10.16.02
Apply vendor patch from Bentley. Until then, only open DGN files from trusted sources and consider disabling DGN file preview/auto-loading features.
10.16.02
- 1. Close any running instances of Bentley View or Microstation
- 2. Back up your current project files and configurations
- 3. Navigate to the official Bentley download portal at www.bentley.com
- 4. Locate and download Bentley View version 10.16.02 or later
- 5. Locate and download Microstation version 10.16.02 or later (if applicable)
- 6. Run the installer with administrator privileges
- 7. Follow the installation wizard prompts to complete the update
- 8. Restart the application and verify the version number reflects 10.16.02 or higher
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-34905 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-34905 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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