CVE-2021-34883 in View
Summary
by MITRE • 01/14/2022
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of Bentley View 10.15.0.75. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of J2K files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a read past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-14836.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2022
CVE-2021-34883 represents a critical buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Bentley View version 10.15.0.75 that enables remote information disclosure and potential arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation during the parsing of JPEG 2000 J2K files, creating a classic buffer over-read condition that allows attackers to access memory beyond allocated boundaries. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes malformed J2K files, where insufficient bounds checking permits memory access violations that can expose sensitive data from adjacent memory regions.
The vulnerability operates under the CWE-125 weakness category, which defines out-of-bounds read conditions as a fundamental security flaw where programs access memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. This particular implementation flaw falls within the ATT&CK framework's technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where attackers leverage application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code. The attack requires user interaction through visiting malicious web pages or opening compromised files, making it a client-side exploitation vector that bypasses traditional network-based defenses.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes organizations to significant risk as Bentley View is commonly used for engineering and architectural document review, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking to access sensitive project data. The buffer over-read condition can potentially reveal memory contents including credentials, temporary files, or other sensitive information stored in adjacent memory locations. Attackers can leverage this information disclosure to facilitate more sophisticated attacks or combine it with other vulnerabilities to achieve full system compromise within the application's execution context.
The exploitation chain typically begins with delivery of malicious J2K files through social engineering campaigns, phishing emails, or compromised websites. Once opened by the victim, the vulnerable parsing routine triggers the buffer overflow, potentially enabling attackers to extract memory contents or manipulate program execution flow. Security professionals should note this vulnerability's alignment with the ZDI-CAN-14836 tracking identifier, indicating coordinated vulnerability disclosure practices and suggesting that the issue has received proper attention from security vendors and researchers. Organizations must prioritize patch management and user education to mitigate the risk of exploitation, as the vulnerability's remote attack surface combined with its potential for privilege escalation makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where engineering documentation often contains sensitive intellectual property and project information.