Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-46633 is a code execution vulnerability in Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. A user must open a malicious PDF file or visit a malicious page. If exploited, attacker code can run inside the current MicroStation process, potentially affecting design workstations and project files accessible to that user.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for design and engineering teams because exploitation could run attacker code on workstations handling sensitive project data. Urgency is high, but not emergency-level based on the provided evidence because exploitation requires user interaction and no active exploitation source is cited.
Technical view
The flaw is in PDF parsing in Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. The parser does not validate that an object exists before operating on it, and the CVE is classified as CWE-416. ZDI reports this can allow arbitrary code execution in the current process context after user interaction.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in engineering, construction, or infrastructure environments using MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80, especially where staff open externally supplied PDFs or design-package attachments. This is not described as unauthenticated network exploitation; user interaction is required.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Public sources describe exploitation through a crafted page or file opened by a target user. Treat suspicious PDFs and external project files as the main delivery concern.
Researcher notes
Focus validation on exact product/version match and PDF ingestion paths. The CVSS vector is local with required user interaction, despite remote delivery language. Do not assume other Bentley products or versions are affected unless confirmed by Bentley or CVE sources.
Mitigation direction
- Check Bentley advisory BE-2021-0003 for vendor update or mitigation guidance.
- Prioritize upgrade or removal of MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 where found.
- Restrict opening externally supplied PDFs on affected workstations until remediated.
- Use email, web, and file-transfer controls to quarantine suspicious PDFs.
- Apply least privilege to design workstations and project file shares.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80.
- Confirm whether users open PDFs inside MicroStation workflows.
- Review Bentley BE-2021-0003 for the supported remediation path.
- Check security telemetry for suspicious PDF delivery to design users.
- Verify remediation by confirming the affected version is no longer present.
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-2021-46633 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-2021-0003CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-22-220/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.