Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-46602 affects Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. A malicious 3DS file or page can cause the application to read beyond a memory buffer and expose limited sensitive information. The user must interact with attacker-controlled content. Sources do not show known active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a low-priority but real workstation exposure. It is most relevant where staff exchange 3D design files with customers, vendors, or unknown sources. Address through inventory, vendor guidance, and file-handling controls.
Technical view
The flaw is CWE-125 out-of-bounds read in 3DS file parsing. CVSS 3.0 is 3.3 with confidentiality impact only. ZDI notes the bug can support arbitrary code execution only when combined with other vulnerabilities; this CVE alone is described as information disclosure.
Likely exposure
Exposure is mainly CAD workstations running Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80, especially users who open imported 3DS models or files from external parties. No server-side or internet-exposed service exposure is indicated in the provided sources.
Exploitation context
Exploitation requires user interaction: visiting a malicious page or opening a malicious file. The CVE is not listed as KEV in the supplied bundle. Public sources cited here do not establish active exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
The core issue is out-of-bounds read during 3DS parsing. The public description mentions possible code execution only as part of a vulnerability chain, so avoid treating this CVE alone as proven RCE. Patch details are not present in the supplied bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Bentley MicroStation CONNECT installations and identify version 10.16.0.80.
- Review Bentley advisory BE-2021-0004 for vendor-recommended fixes or workarounds.
- Restrict opening or importing untrusted 3DS files in MicroStation.
- Handle external CAD files through trusted intake and scanning workflows.
- Prioritize remediation for users regularly processing third-party model files.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether any endpoints run MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80.
- Review CAD workflows for external or untrusted 3DS file intake.
- Verify users have guidance not to open unexpected 3DS files.
- Check Bentley guidance for corrected versions or mitigations before closure.
- Document whether compensating controls reduce untrusted file exposure.
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-125: 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-2021-46602 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
- Low
- CVSS
- 3.3 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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:L/I:N/A:N1.81.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
3.3LowVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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-22-189/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 Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.