Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-46621 affects Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. A malicious JT file or page could cause the application to run attacker-controlled code after a user opens or visits it. This is mainly a workstation risk for engineering teams handling external design files.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority workstation exposure for design and engineering environments. The business risk rises where external CAD exchange is routine, but urgency is lower than internet-exposed or no-click vulnerabilities.
Technical view
The flaw is in JT file handling and is categorized as CWE-415 double free. The software does not properly validate an object's existence before additional free operations, allowing code execution in the current MicroStation process. CVSS is 7.8 high with user interaction required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in organizations running Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80, especially where users receive JT or related CAD files from clients, vendors, or project partners.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. Exploitation requires user interaction: opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious page. Successful exploitation could compromise the user's workstation context.
Researcher notes
Do not assume broader Bentley products are affected from this bundle. Available evidence identifies MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 and JT parsing. Fix details are not present in the bundle, so rely on Bentley's advisory for exact remediation.
Mitigation direction
- Check Bentley BE-2021-0005 for vendor-fixed versions or workarounds.
- Upgrade affected MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 installations per Bentley guidance.
- Restrict opening JT files from untrusted external sources.
- Use email and web filtering for unexpected CAD/JT attachments or links.
- Run MicroStation with least-privileged user accounts where feasible.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Bentley MicroStation CONNECT version 10.16.0.80.
- Confirm whether users process JT files from external parties.
- Review deployment records against Bentley advisory BE-2021-0005.
- Check security logs for suspicious JT attachments, links, or MicroStation crashes.
- Verify endpoint controls cover engineering workstations running MicroStation.
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-415: 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-2021-46621 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-2021-0005CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-22-208/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.
Double Free
Double Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.