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MicrostationApplication · Bentley

CVE-2021-46580

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. 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-15374.

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 confidence

A use-after-free or null-pointer dereference vulnerability exists in Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 during JT file parsing. The parser fails to validate object existence before performing operations on it, allowing remote code execution in the context of the current process when a user opens a malicious JT file.

MitigationUsers should avoid opening untrusted JT files until Bentley releases a patch; consider implementing file validation and sandboxing as additional layers of defense.

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 the installed Bentley product and version
    Open Bentley MicroStation or Bentley View, then navigate to Help > About or check the program's file properties (right-click the executable > Properties > Details) to locate the version number
    Affected if The version is MicroStation < 10.16.02, MicroStation Connect <= 10.16.0.80, or View < 10.16.02
  2. Confirm the affected product family
    Verify whether the installed software is MicroStation (standard), MicroStation Connect, or Bentley View by checking the application name in the Start menu or About dialog
    Affected if The product is any of the three affected families listed in the version ranges
  3. Check if JT file handling is accessible
    Attempt to open or import a JT file through the application's file open dialog, or check File > Open > Files of Type to see if JT files (.jt) are listed as a supported format
    Affected if JT file parsing functionality is present and can be invoked by the user
  4. Verify the vulnerability trigger condition
    The vulnerability is triggered when the application parses a malicious JT file. Confirm that users can open JT files from untrusted sources
    Affected if The application can parse JT files and users have the ability to open files from potentially untrusted sources

A user is affected if they have Bentley MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, or Bentley View with a version below the fixed releases (10.16.02 for MicroStation/View, and <=10.16.0.80 for Connect) and the ability to open JT files.

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

Users should avoid opening untrusted JT files until Bentley releases a patch; consider implementing file validation and sandboxing as additional layers of defense.

Recommended fix High confidence

MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, and MicroStation View version 10.16.02 or later

  1. Identify the exact Bentley MicroStation product and version currently installed (MicroStation, MicroStation Connect, or MicroStation View)
  2. Download the fixed version from the official Bentley website or through your Bentley software distribution channel
  3. Close all running instances of MicroStation
  4. Install version 10.16.02 or later of the affected product
  5. Restart the application and verify the version number reflects the update
  6. Test that JT files can still be opened and parsed correctly

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

Fix this in Microstation Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,880
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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-2021-46580 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