CVE-2025-34210 is a critical security vulnerability identified in the Vasion Print Virtual Appliance Host and Application, which is used in VA/SaaS deployments for print management. The core issue is the storage of numerous sensitive credentials—including database passwords, MySQL root password, SaaS keys, and Portainer admin passwords—in plaintext files on the host filesystem. These files are world-readable, meaning any local user or any process with read access to the host filesystem can retrieve these secrets without any authentication or user interaction. This exposure leads to credential theft and potentially full compromise of the appliance, allowing attackers to control the print environment and potentially pivot to other network resources. The vendor’s stance is that this is not a vulnerability because the product operates under a shared responsibility model, expecting administrators to configure persistent storage encryption themselves. However, this reliance on administrator configuration is a significant security risk, especially if encryption is not enabled or if local access controls are weak. The vulnerability affects all versions of the product and has a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.4, reflecting critical severity due to the ease of exploitation (local access only, no authentication needed), the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and the broad scope of affected secrets. No patches are currently available, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild yet. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-256 (plaintext storage of a password).

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a severe risk, particularly in environments where multiple users or processes have local access to the appliance host or where containerized or virtualized environments share filesystem access. Credential theft can lead to unauthorized access to databases, SaaS services, and administrative interfaces, resulting in data breaches, service disruption, and lateral movement within the network. The compromise of print infrastructure can also disrupt critical document workflows, impacting business operations. Given the appliance’s role in print management, sectors such as government, healthcare, finance, and large enterprises that rely heavily on secure printing services are at heightened risk. The lack of vendor-provided encryption by default increases the likelihood of exploitation, especially in organizations with insufficient local access controls or inadequate security policies. The critical CVSS score underscores the potential for widespread impact if exploited.

European organizations should immediately audit their Vasion Print Virtual Appliance deployments to verify if persistent storage encryption is enabled and properly configured. If encryption is not enabled, administrators must enable it without delay to protect stored credentials. Additionally, filesystem permissions should be tightened to restrict access to sensitive files strictly to necessary system processes and administrators only. Implementing strict local access controls, including limiting user and process permissions on the appliance host, is essential to reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Organizations should also monitor local access logs and filesystem access patterns for suspicious activity. Where possible, consider isolating the appliance in a hardened network segment with minimal user access. Regular backups and incident response plans should be updated to account for potential credential compromise. Finally, organizations should engage with Vasion for updates or patches and consider alternative solutions if vendor support remains inadequate.