CVE-2021-21551
CVE-2021-21551 is a high-severity vulnerability in Dell Dbutil with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-03-31). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-782.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
- CVSS v2: 4.6
- EPSS exploit prediction: 57% (99th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-03-31)
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2021-8823
- EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-03-31)
- Weakness: CWE-782
- Affected product: Dell Dbutil
- Published:
- Last modified:
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.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2021-21551?
- 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 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2021-21551 being actively exploited?
- Yes. CVE-2021-21551 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-03-31, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
- What products are affected by CVE-2021-21551?
- CVE-2021-21551 affects Dell Dbutil. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2021-21551?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
- Does CVE-2021-21551 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2021-21551 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2021-8823. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-03-31).
- When was CVE-2021-21551 published?
- CVE-2021-21551 was published on 2021-05-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- 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
- https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000186019/dsa-2021-088-dell-client-platform-security-update-for-dell-driver-insufficient-access-control-vulnerability
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-21551
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:dell:dbutil:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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