If you’re running Windows OS on a Dell laptop or PC, the installed version of Dell’s ‘SupportAssist’ utility leaves your system vulnerable to remote attacks, allowing hackers to execute code with admin privileges and take control of your system.

Dell released a patch for this security flaw on April 23, however users who’ve failed to install this patch remain vulnerable. The ‘SupportAssist’ tool is used for debugging, diagnostics, and Dell drivers auto-updates in Windows.

The number of impacted users is said to be very high considering the massive number of Dell computers sold compared to the small number of patch requests that have been made. The ‘SupportAssist’ tool is one of the apps that Dell pre-installs on all Windows laptops and computers the company sells. Systems that Dell sells without Windows OS, for example their line of professional workstations with Ubuntu or Red Hat Linux preinstalled, are not impacted.

Dell’s ‘SupportAssist’ app running in Windows is vulnerable to "remote code execution" that, under certain circumstances, provides attackers easy access to Dell systems. The ‘SupportAssist’ tool runs with admin privileges giving successful attackers full access to targeted systems.

Bottom line:

If you’re running Windows OS on a Dell laptop or PC make sure you’re up to date with Dell’s latest security patches. Otherwise you’re a sitting duck for some ‘bad guy’ who’d love to gain full access to your system.

Better yet (wait for it!), scrub Windows and the troublesome issues it brings with it from your Dell computer and install Linux Mint in it’s place. Dell computers truly are an ideal host machine for desktop Linux, and once you’ve made the move you’ll most likely never look back!

Given Linux Mint’s highly polished look and feel, its complete lack of troublesome Windows specific issues, the massive world wide following it has garnered over the past decade and a half, and the friendly, helpful community that supports its millions of users online, you’ll lack for nothing computing wise - plus you’ll find a whole new world of open-source interests that those who most enjoy ‘personal computing’ and similar pursuits find truly liberating!..



..I'd rather have questions I can't answer, than answers I can't question.. Dr. Phil