CVE-2021-37176 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability has been identified in Siemens' Simcenter Femap V2020.2 and V2021.1 that could allow an attacker to leak information by exploiting an out-of-bounds read issue in the femap.exe application.

Understanding CVE-2021-37176

This CVE identifies a security flaw in Simcenter Femap software versions V2020.2 and V2021.1, which could lead to data leakage due to inadequate data validation.

What is CVE-2021-37176?

CVE-2021-37176 is a vulnerability found in Simcenter Femap V2020.2 and V2021.1 that allows malicious actors to read beyond the allocated buffer limits, potentially exposing sensitive information.

The Impact of CVE-2021-37176

The impact of this vulnerability is significant as it can be exploited to leak data within the current process context, posing a risk to the confidentiality and integrity of the system and data.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-37176

This section provides detailed technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The femap.exe application in Simcenter Femap V2020.2 and V2021.1 fails to properly validate user-supplied data when parsing modfem files, leading to out-of-bounds read access beyond allocated buffer boundaries.

Affected Systems and Versions

Simcenter Femap V2020.2 (All versions)
Simcenter Femap V2021.1 (All versions)

Exploitation Mechanism

By exploiting this vulnerability, attackers could read sensitive information beyond the intended buffer limits, potentially compromising the security of the system.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard against CVE-2021-37176, it is crucial to follow immediate steps and implement long-term security measures and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Simcenter Femap to the latest patched version provided by Siemens.
Monitor system logs for any suspicious activities that could indicate exploitation.
Restrict access to vulnerable systems to authorized personnel only.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and security patches to protect against known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security audits and assessments to identify and remediate potential risks proactively.

Patching and Updates

Ensure prompt installation of security patches released by Siemens for Simcenter Femap software to address the out-of-bounds read vulnerability.