dbcve.org
NavisworksApplication · Autodesk

CVE-2021-40155

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-09-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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 in Autodesk Navisworks 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 can be forced to read beyond allocated boundaries when parsing the DWG files. This vulnerability can be exploited 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 · high confidence

A buffer over-read vulnerability exists in Autodesk Navisworks 2019-2022 when parsing maliciously crafted DWG files. The application reads beyond allocated memory boundaries during DWG file parsing, which can be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied security patches from Autodesk for affected Navisworks versions, and implement network-level controls to restrict untrusted DWG file sources until patches are deployed.

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
NavisworksApplication
Affected:= 2019= 2020= 2021= 2022

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. Verify Navisworks installation
    Check for Autodesk Navisworks installation by looking in the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries containing 'Navisworks', or check common installation paths such as C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks
    Affected if Navisworks is not installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Locate the Navisworks installation and check the version: right-click the Navisworks executable (usually NwMaster.exe or similar), select Properties, and view the File Version field; alternatively, open Navisworks and go to Help > About Autodesk Navisworks to view the exact version number
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022
  3. Confirm DWG parsing capability
    Verify that DWG file import or review functionality is available or has been used; check recent file history or attempt to open a DWG file to confirm the parsing component is present and functional
    Affected if DWG parsing feature is accessible and the application can open DWG files

You are affected if Navisworks version 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022 is installed AND DWG file parsing functionality is used or accessible on your system.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied security patches from Autodesk for affected Navisworks versions, and implement network-level controls to restrict untrusted DWG file sources until patches are deployed.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest Navisworks 2022 update or upgrade to Navisworks 2023/2024 which contains the security fix

  1. 1. Verify your current Autodesk Navisworks installation and exact version number (go to Help > About Autodesk Navisworks)
  2. 2. Navigate to the Autodesk Account portal or Autodesk Support website (www.autodesk.com)
  3. 3. Sign in with your Autodesk account credentials
  4. 4. Locate and download the latest version or service pack for your Navisworks release
  5. 5. Before installing, back up any custom configuration files and project files
  6. 6. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update
  7. 7. After installation, verify the version has been updated and test with DWG files
Caveat Newer versions may have changes to the user interface, API behavior, or file format handling; test critical workflows before deploying widely

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Navisworks Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
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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-2021-40155 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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