CVE-2021-46152
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 · uneditedA vulnerability has been identified in Simcenter Femap V2020.2 (All versions), Simcenter Femap V2021.1 (All versions). Affected application contains a type confusion vulnerability while parsing NEU files. This could allow an attacker to execute code in the context of the current process. (ZDI-CAN-14643, ZDI-CAN-14644, ZDI-CAN-14755, ZDI-CAN-15183)
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 confidenceA type confusion vulnerability exists in Simcenter Femap when parsing NEU (Neutral) files, which are commonly used in finite element modeling. This memory corruption issue can be triggered by opening a specially crafted NEU file, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user process.
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= 2020.2= 2021.1CVSS 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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Verify Simcenter Femap installationCheck for the presence of Simcenter Femap in the installed programs list. Common installation paths include C:\Program Files\Siemens\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Femap. Look for folders named 'Femap 2020.2' or 'Femap 2021.1'.Affected if Simcenter Femap version 2020.2 or 2021.1 is installed on the system
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Confirm installed Femap versionOpen Femap and navigate to Help > About Femap, or check the executable file properties (right-click femap.exe > Properties > Details) to view the exact version number.Affected if The installed version matches 2020.2 or 2021.1 exactly
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Verify NEU file import capabilityLaunch Femap and attempt to access the File > Open dialog. Check if NEU files appear in the file type dropdown filter, or try to import a test NEU file via File > Import > Neutral File.Affected if NEU file import functionality is present and accessible in the application
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Inspect recent file operationsCheck Windows Event Viewer under Security and Application logs for any suspicious femap.exe process activity, particularly around file operations. Also review any recently opened NEU files in the system's recent documents or within Femap's recent files list.Affected if There are recent NEU file operations from untrusted or unknown sources
A user is affected if Simcenter Femap versions 2020.2 or 2021.1 are installed and the application can open or import NEU (Neutral) files.
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.
From vendor dataRestrict usage of Simcenter Femap to trusted NEU files only. Until an official vendor patch is available, implement application whitelisting or sandboxing to limit exposure to untrusted file sources.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,608.
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-46152 — 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-2021-46152 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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