CVE-2025-12680 identifies a security vulnerability in Brocade SANnav, a storage area network management tool, affecting versions prior to 2.4.0b. The issue stems from the application logging database passwords in cleartext on the standby SANnav server following a disaster recovery failover event. This plaintext storage violates secure credential handling best practices (CWE-256 and CWE-312), exposing sensitive database passwords within log files and supportsave archives. An attacker who has already obtained remote authenticated administrative privileges on the SANnav system can exploit this vulnerability by accessing these logs or supportsave files to extract the database password. The vulnerability does not allow unauthenticated access, but the requirement for high privileges and some user interaction (e.g., triggering failover or accessing logs) increases the attack complexity. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), partial user interaction (UI:P), and privileges required (PR:H), with high impact on confidentiality and system integrity. Although no public exploits are known, the exposure of database credentials could facilitate lateral movement or data exfiltration within an enterprise SAN environment. The vulnerability is particularly critical in environments where SANnav is used to manage critical storage infrastructure, as compromise could lead to broader storage system manipulation or data breaches.

For European organizations, the exposure of database passwords in SANnav logs can lead to significant risks including unauthorized access to storage management databases, potential manipulation of storage configurations, and data integrity compromises. Given that SANnav is used to manage storage area networks, attackers leveraging this vulnerability could disrupt storage availability or exfiltrate sensitive data. This risk is heightened in sectors with stringent data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. The breach of storage management credentials could also facilitate further attacks on connected systems or cloud storage environments. Additionally, the vulnerability could undermine compliance with GDPR and other European data protection regulations due to the potential for unauthorized data access. Organizations relying on Brocade SANnav for disaster recovery and storage management must consider this vulnerability a medium risk but with potentially severe operational consequences if exploited.

To mitigate CVE-2025-12680, European organizations should immediately upgrade Brocade SANnav to version 2.4.0b or later, where the vulnerability is addressed. Until the upgrade is applied, restrict administrative access to SANnav servers, especially the standby server, using network segmentation and strict access controls. Limit the generation and retention of supportsave files and logs containing sensitive information, and ensure these files have strong filesystem permissions to prevent unauthorized access. Monitor administrative activities and access logs for unusual behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. Implement multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Additionally, conduct regular audits of SANnav configurations and disaster recovery procedures to ensure no sensitive data is exposed inadvertently. Finally, educate administrators about the risks of plaintext credential storage and the importance of secure handling of logs and support files.