CVE-2021-21551
Dell dbutil Driver Insufficient Access Control Vulnerability
Dell dbutil Driver
Dell dbutil_2_3.sys driver contains an insufficient access control vulnerability which may lead to escalation of privileges, denial of service, or information disclosure. Local authenticated user access is required.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 31 March 2022. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 21 April 2022.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 79.2%, which is higher than 99.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2021-21551 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2021-21551.
What does CVE-2021-21551 affect?
CVE-2021-21551 affects Dell dbutil Driver. Dell dbutil_2_3.sys driver contains an insufficient access control vulnerability which may lead to escalation of privileges, denial of service, or information disclosure. Local authenticated user access is required.
How severe is CVE-2021-21551?
CVE-2021-21551 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 8.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 79.2%, higher than 99.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 21 April 2022.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2021-21551?
Apply the vendor patch for Dell dbutil Driver as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.