What just happened? If you thought your aging Dell laptop was safe from modern malware or hacking exploits, think once more. Dell has just released a retroactive, loftier-priority software patch for hundreds of its machines, some of which accept initial releases dating back to 2009.

The patch addresses an "insufficient access control vulnerability" present in the dbutil_2_3.sys driver, which can be found on Windows-equipped Dell systems with user-installed firmware update packages. Non all Dell machines are afflicted, just many are; 380, to be precise.

Impacted machines range from Dell's Latitude line-up to its Inspirons and even its M-serial gaming notebooks. The vulnerability would allow someone with admission to the auto (which could be obtained through malware) to escalate privileges and obtain kernel-level permissions.

You can observe a full list of afflicted machines on Dell'southward website -- it's too expansive for us to listing hither. If ane of your machines is on that listing, your starting time priority should be to remove the offending driver from your arrangement.

There are three master ways to do this. Kickoff, you tin download and run the DSA-2021-088 utility, which will automate the process for you lot -- we'd recommend this for almost people. Alternatively, you can check the C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Temp and C:\Windows\Temp directories on your organisation to see if the driver is visible. If it is, select the file, hold downwardly Shift, and then printing the Delete key on your keyboard.

The terminal method involves using ane of Dell's notification solutions (such as Dell Command, Dell Update, or Dell SupportAssist) to automatically apply the patch. This is the most convenient option (and the one that requires the least technical knowledge), but Dell's notification solutions won't support the DSA-2021-088 utility until May 10, 2022.

Once you've removed the vulnerable driver, update your device'south firmware at your earliest convenience to get a "remediated" version of the file. Dell's notification solutions will piece of work for this as well.

And that'southward just nigh it! If you lot've removed the driver and subsequently updated your device, you should exist good to go. Hopefully, most people patch their machines before besides much impairment tin exist washed.

Image credit: Monitcello, Nor Gal