CVE-2021-21551
Published: March 31, 2022
Official Description
Dell dbutil driver contains an insufficient access control vulnerability which may lead to escalation of privileges, denial-of-service (DoS), or information disclosure.
CISA KEV Advisory
Dell dbutil Driver Insufficient Access Control Vulnerability
Dell dbutil driver contains an insufficient access control vulnerability which may lead to escalation of privileges, denial-of-service (DoS), or information disclosure.
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Risk Analysis
The Dell dbutil driver has an insufficient access control vulnerability that can lead to privilege escalation, denial-of-service, or information disclosure. With an EPSS score of 0.59918 and confirmed exploitation, this flaw poses a significant risk to Dell systems.
This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and is included in CISA's KEV catalog. The exploit details suggest local access is likely required for privilege escalation.
Update the Dell dbutil driver to a patched version. Ensure systems are configured with the principle of least privilege to mitigate potential impact.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2021-21551 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
CISA has added CVE-2021-21551 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. U.S. federal agencies are required to patch this within the mandated timeframe, and all organizations should treat remediation as urgent.
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (1)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2021-21551 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
- !CISA KEV: Federal agencies must patch per BOD 22-01 timeline
- !Active exploitation confirmed — treat as P1