Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80 can be compromised when a user opens a malicious DGN file or visits a malicious page. Successful exploitation could run attacker-controlled code as the current user. This is serious for engineering teams handling external CAD files, but the provided sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority where MicroStation handles external design files. The business risk is workstation compromise through routine CAD file workflows, not internet-wide scanning. Prioritize affected engineering endpoints and vendor-guided remediation.
Technical view
CVE-2021-46644 is a CWE-787 out-of-bounds write in DGN file parsing in Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80. Crafted DGN data can write past an allocated buffer and enable code execution in the current process. CVSS 3.0 score is 7.8, with user interaction required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on workstations running Bentley MicroStation CONNECT 10.16.0.80, especially where users open DGN files from clients, contractors, partners, or downloaded sources.
Exploitation context
The source bundle describes remote attacker opportunity, but exploitation requires user interaction. The victim must open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. CISA KEV status is false, and no provided source states active exploitation.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports affected product/version, vulnerability class, attack condition, impact, and ZDI tracking as ZDI-CAN-15530. The bundle does not include detailed patch version data or active exploitation evidence, so remediation should be tied to Bentley's advisory.
Mitigation direction
- Identify MicroStation CONNECT installations and confirm whether version 10.16.0.80 is present.
- Check Bentley advisory BE-2021-0009 for vendor-approved update or mitigation guidance.
- Apply Bentley's recommended update or mitigation for affected installations.
- Restrict opening DGN files from untrusted sources until remediation is complete.
- Prioritize controls on engineering workstations receiving external CAD files.
Validation and detection
- Verify installed Bentley MicroStation CONNECT version on engineering endpoints.
- Compare findings against Bentley advisory BE-2021-0009 and CVE-2021-46644 scope.
- Review file-handling workflows for external or untrusted DGN ingestion.
- Check endpoint telemetry for suspicious crashes or alerts around DGN file opening.
- Confirm remediation by documenting updated versions or vendor-approved mitigations.
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-787: 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-2021-46644 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-22-231/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 Write
Out-of-bounds Write represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.