Do you still have tech from 2009 or something? Maybe an old CPU or motherboard that sits in a box in your closet “just in case” you need a backup? What about a Dell? If you or someone you care about is still using a Dell computer made between the start of Barack Obama’s first term and now, make sure you don’t need an important security update that has just been deleted.
The update resolves a vulnerability with the Windows driver dbutil_2_3.sys, which Dell says may have been installed on your Dell Windows operating system while using Firmware Update Utilities, Dell Command Update, Dell Update, Alienware Update, and Dell System Inventory Agent or Dell Platform Tags, even if you are using a Dell notification solution to update drivers, BIOS, or firmware for your system. “
It is highly recommended that you use a handy Dell utility to remove this driver and install updated software that will prevent the unwanted driver from showing up on your system at a later date. According to Dell, this vulnerability, which has a severity rating of 8.8 out of 10, could result in privilege escalation, denial of service, or information disclosure. (It is worth noting, however, that an attacker would need “locally authenticated access” to their computer in order to take advantage of this vulnerability – either in person or through some form of malware / phishing / RAS exploit.)
First, download and run the Dell Security Advisory Update – DSA-2021-088. usefulnesswho should find and remove dbutil_2_3.sys for you. You can also search for this file manually. It could occur in one of two places:
- C: Users
AppData Local Temp - C: Windows Temp
If or when you find the file yourself, just hit Shift + Delete to banish it in the dark.
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You can also wait until May 10th and then perform a regular system update with any Dell built-in toolsLike SupportAssist or Dell Update, the DSA-2021-088 utility will be installed and run automatically. You’ll need to run one of these tools anyway to install the newer firmware update mentioned above, which will prevent this older, vulnerable driver from making its way back to your system.
To keep it simple I would probably just wait until May 10th. Find and install any system updates you want Dell to run this week. If it doesn’t, you are in luck and your system is not affected. (You can also check to see if finding your specific Dell system in the 380 affected Dell PCs affects you on this page.)
For security reasons, run your update tools next week, whether or not you find your system on this list. It never hurts to have the latest PC you can get – software and firmware. The silver lining for all of this? According to Dell“The company is unaware that this vulnerability has previously been exploited by malicious actors.” So this is not a type of update, but one that you want to address.
