Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-46614 is a high-severity flaw in Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. A malicious J2K image can let an attacker run code if a user opens a crafted file or visits a malicious page. The main business risk is compromise of engineering workstations and project data.
Executive priority
Treat this as a prioritized workstation risk for teams using MicroStation. It is not confirmed as actively exploited in the supplied sources, but the impact is high because successful exploitation could run attacker code under the user’s context.
Technical view
The issue is an out-of-bounds read, CWE-125, in J2K image parsing. Crafted J2K data can trigger a read past an allocated buffer and be leveraged for code execution in the current MicroStation process. The supplied CVSS is 7.8 with local attack vector and required user interaction.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 is installed and users receive or open externally supplied CAD, image, project, email, or web-delivered content containing J2K images.
Exploitation context
The sources describe remote code execution requiring user interaction. The target must open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. The provided bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE record, Bentley advisory reference, and ZDI advisory reference. Do not assume broader affected versions or a specific fixed release from the supplied bundle. Focus validation on MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 and J2K parsing exposure.
Mitigation direction
- Check Bentley BE-2021-0006 and apply any vendor-listed update or workaround.
- Block or quarantine untrusted J2K images and MicroStation files from email/web sources.
- Limit MicroStation file handling to trusted project sources where practical.
- Use least-privileged desktop accounts for MicroStation users.
- Warn users not to open unexpected project, image, or web-delivered files.
Validation and detection
- Inventory MicroStation CONNECT installations and identify version 10.16.0.80.
- Review controls for J2K attachments, downloads, and shared project folders.
- Confirm Bentley advisory status and document any applied update or workaround.
- Check endpoint telemetry for MicroStation opening unusual or externally sourced J2K files.
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-2021-46614 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-22-201/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.