CVE-2026-23719: Siemens Simcenter Femap Buffer Overflow

CVE-2026-23719 Overview

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability has been identified in Siemens Simcenter Femap and Simcenter Nastran engineering simulation software. The vulnerability exists in the parsing mechanism for NDB files, where specially crafted malicious files can trigger a buffer overflow condition. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

Critical Impact

Attackers can achieve code execution by tricking users into opening malicious NDB files, potentially compromising engineering workstations and sensitive design data.

Affected Products

• Siemens Simcenter Femap (All versions < V2512)
• Siemens Simcenter Nastran (All versions < V2512)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-10 - CVE-2026-23719 published to NVD
• 2026-02-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-23719

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow), a memory corruption flaw that occurs when data is written beyond the allocated boundaries of a heap buffer. In the context of Simcenter Femap and Nastran, the vulnerability is triggered during the parsing of NDB (Nastran Database) files.

When the affected applications process a specially crafted NDB file, insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to overflow heap-allocated memory structures. This memory corruption can be leveraged to overwrite critical data structures, function pointers, or heap metadata, ultimately enabling arbitrary code execution.

The attack requires local access and user interaction—specifically, a victim must be convinced to open a malicious NDB file. However, the complexity of successful exploitation is considered high, as attackers must carefully craft the malicious file to achieve reliable code execution rather than simply causing a crash.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in inadequate input validation and bounds checking within the NDB file parsing routines. When processing NDB file structures, the application fails to properly validate the size of incoming data before copying it into fixed-size heap buffers. This allows oversized data to corrupt adjacent heap memory regions.

Attack Vector

The attack vector requires local access to the target system. An attacker would need to craft a malicious NDB file containing oversized or malformed data fields and deliver it to a victim through social engineering techniques such as email attachments, file-sharing platforms, or compromised engineering document repositories.

The exploitation scenario typically involves:

1. Attacker creates a specially crafted NDB file with malicious payload embedded in file structures
2. Victim receives and opens the malicious file using Simcenter Femap or Simcenter Nastran
3. The parsing routine processes the malformed data, triggering the heap-based buffer overflow
4. Attacker-controlled code executes with the privileges of the application user

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the Siemens Security Advisory SSA-965753.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-23719

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes of Simcenter Femap or Simcenter Nastran applications during file operations
• Presence of suspicious NDB files from untrusted sources in engineering directories
• Anomalous child processes spawned by femap.exe or nastran.exe executables
• Memory access violations or heap corruption errors in application logs

Detection Strategies

• Monitor file access patterns for NDB files being loaded from unusual locations such as temp directories or email attachment caches
• Implement application-level monitoring for Simcenter products to detect abnormal memory allocation patterns
• Deploy endpoint detection rules to identify process injection or suspicious code execution following NDB file access
• Use SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect memory corruption exploitation attempts in engineering applications

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging for Simcenter Femap and Nastran applications to capture file access events
• Configure SentinelOne Singularity to monitor process behavior for these applications and alert on anomalous activity
• Establish baseline behavior for engineering workstations to identify deviations during file parsing operations

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-23719

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Simcenter Femap and Simcenter Nastran to version V2512 or later immediately
• Restrict access to NDB files from untrusted or external sources until patching is complete
• Educate engineering personnel about the risks of opening NDB files from unknown sources
• Implement application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized code execution

Patch Information

Siemens has released version V2512 of both Simcenter Femap and Simcenter Nastran to address this vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize upgrading all affected installations as no workaround fully mitigates the risk.

For detailed patch information and download links, refer to the Siemens Security Advisory SSA-965753.

Workarounds

• Implement strict file source verification procedures for all NDB files before opening
• Use network segmentation to isolate engineering workstations running vulnerable versions
• Deploy application sandboxing solutions to contain potential exploitation attempts
• Configure email security gateways to quarantine NDB file attachments pending review

# Configuration example
# Restrict NDB file execution to trusted directories only
# Add to Windows Software Restriction Policy or AppLocker rules

# Example AppLocker rule to restrict NDB file sources
# Deny execution of applications triggered by NDB files from untrusted paths
# Configure via Group Policy: Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies

# Monitor Simcenter processes for suspicious child processes
Get-Process -Name "femap*","nastran*" | ForEach-Object { Get-CimInstance Win32_Process -Filter "ParentProcessId=$($_.Id)" }