CVE-2025-34211 is a critical cryptographic vulnerability in the Vasion Print Virtual Appliance Host and Application, identified as CWE-321 due to the use of hardcoded cryptographic keys. The affected versions store a private SSL key and its corresponding public certificate in cleartext within the appliance. This key is associated with the hostname `pl-local.com` and is used to terminate TLS connections on standard web ports (80 and 443). Because the key is hardcoded and identical across all deployed appliances, any attacker who gains container-level access can extract this private key easily. With the private key, an attacker can decrypt TLS traffic, perform man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, and forge TLS certificates that appear legitimate to clients and services trusting the appliance’s certificate. This enables impersonation of the appliance’s web user interface, interception of user credentials, and unrestricted access to services relying on this certificate for trust. The vulnerability affects both virtual appliance (VA) and SaaS deployments prior to versions 22.0.1049 and 20.0.2786 respectively. The CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.3 reflects the vulnerability’s critical nature, with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no required privileges for exploitation beyond container access, and no user interaction needed. The scope is high as the same key is used universally, meaning compromise of one appliance compromises all. The vendor has acknowledged this issue as V-2024-025 but has not yet published patches. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the risk is significant due to the ease of key extraction and the broad impact on confidentiality and integrity of communications.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a severe risk to the confidentiality and integrity of internal print management infrastructure. The ability to decrypt TLS traffic and impersonate the appliance’s web UI could lead to credential theft, unauthorized access to sensitive print jobs, and lateral movement within corporate networks. Organizations relying on Vasion Print appliances for centralized print management may face operational disruptions and data breaches. The universal use of the same hardcoded key means that a single compromise anywhere globally can impact all European deployments, increasing the threat landscape. Additionally, attackers could leverage forged certificates to bypass network security controls that trust the appliance’s certificate, undermining perimeter defenses. This is particularly critical for sectors with stringent data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies in Europe. The lack of user interaction and low complexity of exploitation further heighten the risk, making it feasible for attackers with container access to exploit the vulnerability rapidly.

European organizations should immediately audit their Vasion Print Virtual Appliance and Application versions to identify vulnerable deployments. Until patches are released, restrict container-level access strictly to trusted administrators and implement strong access controls and monitoring on container environments. Network segmentation should isolate print appliances from sensitive network segments to limit exposure. Employ network traffic analysis tools to detect unusual TLS certificate usage or anomalies in print appliance communications. Consider deploying TLS interception detection mechanisms to identify potential MITM attacks. Once vendor patches become available, prioritize prompt updates to versions 22.0.1049 or later for the VA and 20.0.2786 or later for the Application. Replace the hardcoded certificates with unique, securely generated certificates per deployment to eliminate the universal key risk. Additionally, review and harden the appliance’s container environment security posture, including applying the principle of least privilege and using container runtime security tools. Finally, educate IT staff about the risks of hardcoded keys and the importance of secure key management practices.