Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-46584 is a high-severity code execution flaw in Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. A user must open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. Successful exploitation could let an attacker run code with the permissions of the MicroStation process.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted workstation risk for design and engineering teams. It is high priority where MicroStation processes files from outside the organization, but the available sources do not support claims of active exploitation.
Technical view
The flaw is an out-of-bounds write, CWE-787, in J2K image parsing. Crafted J2K image data can write past an allocated buffer and enable arbitrary code execution in the current process. The CVSS v3.0 score is 7.8, with user interaction required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on engineering or design workstations running Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80, especially where users handle externally supplied files or links. The source bundle does not identify other affected Bentley versions or products.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. ZDI identifies the issue as ZDI-22-171 and notes exploitation requires user interaction through a malicious page or file.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE, Bentley advisory reference, and ZDI advisory reference. Do not broaden affected scope beyond MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 without vendor confirmation. The key validation question is whether Bentley’s official remediation has been applied.
Mitigation direction
- Identify any Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 installations.
- Review Bentley advisory BE-2021-0006 for official remediation guidance.
- Apply Bentley-provided updates or workarounds if listed by the vendor.
- Warn users not to open untrusted files or links in affected environments.
- Prioritize endpoint controls on engineering workstations handling external content.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed MicroStation CONNECT versions on managed workstations.
- Check whether Bentley BE-2021-0006 remediation has been applied.
- Review file-handling workflows for externally supplied J2K or design content.
- Verify endpoint monitoring covers MicroStation process activity.
- Document any remaining affected systems and compensating controls.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-787: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-46584 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.bentley.com/en/common-vulnerability-exposure/BE-2021-0006CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-22-171/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Out-of-bounds Write
Out-of-bounds Write represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.