Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A malicious DGN design file or page can make Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 run attacker-controlled code when opened by a user. This is most urgent for teams exchanging CAD files with outside parties or handling untrusted project documents.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority workstation risk for engineering environments. It is not wormable from the provided evidence, but one opened malicious design file could lead to code execution on a user’s machine.
Technical view
CVE-2021-46636 is a DGN parsing flaw in Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. Crafted DGN data can trigger a read past an allocated buffer, classified as CWE-125, and ZDI reports potential arbitrary code execution in the current process context.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on workstations running Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80, especially where users open externally supplied DGN files or browse project portals containing untrusted design content.
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 affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Researcher notes
Do not generalize affected scope beyond Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 from these sources. Fix details are not included in the supplied bundle, so remediation should be verified directly against Bentley’s advisory.
Mitigation direction
- Identify and prioritize MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 systems.
- Check Bentley BE-2021-0009 for vendor-approved fixed builds or mitigation guidance.
- Restrict opening DGN files from untrusted external sources.
- Use endpoint controls to limit MicroStation process privileges where feasible.
- Educate CAD users to verify unexpected DGN files before opening.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed Bentley MicroStation CONNECT versions across engineering workstations.
- Confirm whether any endpoint is running version 10.16.0.80.
- Review email, file-share, and project portal workflows for external DGN intake.
- Check security telemetry for suspicious MicroStation child processes or crashes.
- Document remediation status against Bentley advisory BE-2021-0009.
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-2021-46636 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-2021-0009CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-22-223/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.