Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-46592 affects Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. A victim must open a malicious 3DS file or visit a malicious page, after which attacker code could run inside the MicroStation process. This is serious for engineering teams that exchange design files externally.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation where MicroStation is used for external file exchange or project intake. The issue is not listed as actively exploited in the provided evidence, but successful exploitation could compromise user workstations and design environments.
Technical view
The flaw is in 3DS file parsing and is associated with CWE-416. Sources describe missing validation of an object before operations are performed on it, enabling arbitrary code execution in the current process. CVSS is 7.8 high with user interaction required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on workstations running Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80, especially where users import 3DS content or receive design files from clients, partners, or public sources.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Exploitation requires user interaction: opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious page. Treat as targeted-file risk rather than internet-wide remote exposure.
Researcher notes
Source evidence is limited to the CVE record, Bentley advisory reference, and ZDI advisory reference. Do not assume affected versions beyond 10.16.0.80 or a specific fixed version unless confirmed from Bentley guidance.
Mitigation direction
- Identify all Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 installations.
- Apply the remediation or update path in Bentley advisory BE-2021-0004.
- Avoid opening untrusted 3DS files until affected systems are remediated.
- Route external 3DS files through existing malware scanning and quarantine controls.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed MicroStation CONNECT versions on engineering workstations.
- Check whether users handle externally supplied 3DS files.
- Verify remediation status against Bentley BE-2021-0004.
- Review security telemetry for suspicious MicroStation child processes or crashes.
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-416: 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-2021-46592 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-2021-0004CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-22-179/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.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.