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MicrostationApplication · Bentley

CVE-2021-46574

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-02-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.16.02 or later.
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
This 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. Crafted data in a JT file can trigger a write past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-15368.

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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in Bentley MicroStation CONNECT's JT file parser. Crafted JT files with malformed data trigger a write past the end of an allocated buffer, enabling arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process. User interaction required in the form of opening a malicious JT file.

MitigationApply vendor patch for MicroStation CONNECT; restrict file handling policies to prevent opening untrusted JT files from unknown sources.

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
MicrostationApplication
Affected:< 10.16.02
Microstation ConnectApplication
Affected:= 10.16.0.80
ViewApplication
Affected:< 10.16.02

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. Identify installed Bentley product
    Check Programs and Features or the application's About dialog for the exact product name (MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, or Bentley View)
    Affected if The installed product is MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, or Bentley View
  2. Locate the MicroStation executable
    Find the main executable - typically in C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStation\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Bentley\MicroStation\ - file is usually named MicroStation.exe or BentleyMicroStation.exe
    Affected if Executable exists at typical installation path
  3. Check the installed version number
    Right-click the executable, select Properties, then look at the Details tab for File Version; or run the application and go to Help > About MicroStation to view the full version string
    Affected if Version number is 10.16.0.80 (exact match for Connect) or falls below 10.16.02 (for MicroStation and View)
  4. Confirm JT file handling is possible
    The JT parser is a built-in component of MicroStation - attempt to open any JT file or check file associations in the application
    Affected if JT files can be opened by the application (this is the default behavior)

You are affected if MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, or Bentley View is installed with a version below 10.16.02, or exactly 10.16.0.80 for MicroStation Connect.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 10.16.02 or later
Fixed in 10.16.02
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor patch for MicroStation CONNECT; restrict file handling policies to prevent opening untrusted JT files from unknown sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

MicroStation 10.16.02 or MicroStation Connect 10.16.0.80 and later

  1. 1. Identify the current MicroStation installation version via Help > About MicroStation
  2. 2. Backup all critical project files and configuration settings
  3. 3. Obtain the fixed version (10.16.02 or later) from the official Bentley Bentley.com download portal or your organization's software distribution system
  4. 4. Close all running MicroStation instances
  5. 5. Run the installer for MicroStation 10.16.02 or later
  6. 6. Follow the on-screen installation prompts to complete the upgrade
  7. 7. Verify the installed version by checking Help > About MicroStation shows version 10.16.02 or higher
  8. 8. Test critical workflows with JT file parsing to confirm the vulnerability is resolved

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

Fix this in Microstation Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
Get the upgrade done

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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-2021-46574 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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