CVE-2021-46159
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 an out of bounds write past the end of an allocated structure while parsing specially crafted NEU files. This could allow an attacker to execute code in the context of the current process. (ZDI-CAN-15050)
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 confidenceSimcenter Femap contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability when parsing specially crafted NEU (neutral) files. The application writes past the end of an allocated memory structure, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process by tricking a user into opening a malicious NEU file.
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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Confirm Simcenter Femap is installedCheck for Simcenter Femap in the program files directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\Siemens\Femap) or look for Femap in Add/Remove ProgramsAffected if The application is not installed at all, then not affected.
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Identify installed Femap versionOpen Femap and go to Help > About, or check the program's executable properties. Look for the exact version number (e.g., 2020.2 or 2021.1)Affected if If the version is exactly 2020.2 or 2021.1, the environment is potentially affected.
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Verify NEU file import capability existsOpen Femap and attempt to access the File > Import function, or look for NEU file type support in the import options dialogAffected if If NEU (Neutral) file import is available and accessible, the vulnerability can be triggered.
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Check for recent opening of untrusted NEU filesReview the application's recent files list or examine any recently imported NEU files for signs of tampering or unknown originAffected if If untrusted or suspicious NEU files have been opened, compromise may have occurred.
The environment is affected if Simcenter Femap version 2020.2 or 2021.1 is installed and the NEU file import feature is accessible and can process malicious 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 dataDo not open untrusted NEU files from untrusted sources. Apply vendor patches when released. Consider disabling or restricting the NEU file import functionality until a fix is available.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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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 sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-46159 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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