# CVE-2021-40159: Information disclosure in Inventor

> Attackers can exploit information disclosure in JT files to potentially achieve code execution in Autodesk Inventor.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 25 Jan 2022
- **Updated:** 8 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-67q4-7j7w-j6hx

## What is CVE-2021-40159?

CVE-2021-40159 is a high-severity vulnerability in Autodesk Advance Steel, published on 25 Jan 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An Information Disclosure vulnerability for JT files in Autodesk Inventor 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 in conjunction with other vulnerabilities may lead to code execution through maliciously crafted JT files in the context of the current process.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-40159?

It affects 11 products.


Products: Autodesk Advance Steel, Autodesk Autocad, Autodesk Autocad Architecture, Autodesk Autocad Electrical, Autodesk Autocad Lt, Autodesk Autocad Map 3d, Autodesk Autocad Mechanical, Autodesk Autocad Mep, Autodesk Autocad Plant 3d, Autodesk Civil 3d, Autodesk Inventor.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-40159?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-40159 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-40159 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-40159 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Autodesk Advance Steel

- [CVE-2026-7406](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-7406/): BMP File Parsing Untrusted Pointer Dereference in certain Autodesk products (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2026-16463](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16463/): DXF File Parsing Heap-Based Overflow in Autodesk AutoCAD (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-8893](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-8893/): PDF File Parsing Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-8894](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-8894/): PDF File Parsing Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-5046](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-5046/): DGN File Parsing Out-of-Bounds Read Vulnerability (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-40159 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-40159 is a high-severity vulnerability in Autodesk Advance Steel, published on 25 Jan 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-40159 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Autodesk Advance Steel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40159/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40159/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-40159
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-40159
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-40159

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40159/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.