CVE-2021-46573
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 MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. 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 JT files. The issue results from the lack of validating the existence of an object prior to performing operations on the object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-15367.
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 remote code execution vulnerability exists in Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 when parsing JT files. The flaw is a missing validation check for object existence before performing operations on it (likely a null pointer dereference), allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code in the current process context via a malicious JT 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< 10.16.02= 10.16.0.80< 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 the installed programs on the system for Bentley MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, or Bentley View. This can be done via Control Panel > Programs and Features, or by running: Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -like '*Bentley*'} | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersionAffected if The system has MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, or Bentley View installed
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Check installed version against affected rangesLocate the exact version number of the installed Bentley product. For MicroStation or Bentley View, compare to version 10.16.02 (any version below 10.16.02 is affected). For MicroStation Connect, check if version is exactly 10.16.0.80. The version is typically visible in the Programs and Features list, or can be found in the application's About/Help section.Affected if The installed version is below 10.16.02 for MicroStation or Bentley View, OR the installed version is exactly 10.16.0.80 for MicroStation Connect
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Verify JT file parsing capabilityDetermine if the Bentley application has the capability to open or parse JT files. JT support is typically included in the base installation for these products. Check file associations or try opening a JT file to confirm the parsing module is present and active.Affected if The application can open or parse JT files (this is the default behavior for affected versions)
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Check for untrusted JT filesSearch the system for JT files, particularly those from untrusted or unknown sources. Use file explorer or command: Get-ChildItem -Path $env:USERPROFILE -Recurse -Filter *.jt -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue. Also check download folders, email attachments, or network shares where unsolicited JT files may reside.Affected if There are JT files present on the system, especially from untrusted sources, which could trigger the vulnerability if opened in the affected software
If the installed Bentley product version is below 10.16.02 (or exactly 10.16.0.80 for Connect) AND the application can parse JT files, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.
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 the vendor patch when available. Until then, avoid opening untrusted or unsolicited JT files from unknown sources.
MicroStation 10.16.02 or later for all product variants (MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, View)
- Identify the current installed version of Bentley MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, or View
- Navigate to the official Bentley product support website or Bentley Communities portal
- Locate the downloads or updates section for your specific MicroStation product line
- Download MicroStation version 10.16.02 or later (including any subsequent security updates)
- Close all running Bentley applications
- Run the installer with appropriate administrator privileges
- Follow the installation wizard prompts to complete the upgrade
- Restart the system if prompted by the installer
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-46573 — 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-2021-46573 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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