CVE-2025-34234 is a critical cryptographic vulnerability affecting Vasion Print Virtual Appliance Host and Application in VA/SaaS deployments prior to versions 25.1.102 and 25.1.1413 respectively. The issue stems from two hardcoded private keys embedded within the application containers (printerlogic/pi, printerlogic/printer-admin-api, and printercloud/pi), stored as plaintext files named keyfile.ppk.dev and keyfile.saasid.ppk.dev under /var/www/app/config/. These keys serve as symmetric secrets for AES-256-CBC encryption and decryption of the 'SaaS Id'—an external identifier used by the application—via the getEncryptedExternalId() and getDecryptedExternalId() methods. Because the keys are hardcoded and shipped within the container images, any attacker who can obtain the Docker image or access the filesystem can extract these keys without authentication or user interaction. This exposure allows attackers to decrypt sensitive identifiers, potentially enabling impersonation, unauthorized access, or lateral movement within affected environments. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.2, reflecting its network exploitable nature, lack of required privileges or user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality. Although the vendor has remediated the issue, the patch release timing is unclear, and many deployments may remain vulnerable. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the ease of key extraction makes exploitation feasible for attackers with access to container images or filesystem snapshots.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive identifiers used within Vasion Print environments. Compromise of the hardcoded keys can lead to decryption of SaaS Ids, potentially allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users or services, escalate privileges, or bypass access controls. This could result in unauthorized access to print management systems, exposure of internal network details, or disruption of printing services critical to business operations. Given the network-exploitable nature and no requirement for authentication, attackers can remotely exploit this vulnerability if they gain access to container images or filesystem data, which may occur through supply chain compromises, insider threats, or misconfigured container registries. The impact extends to data privacy compliance, as unauthorized access or data leakage could violate GDPR and other European data protection regulations, leading to legal and reputational consequences. Organizations relying heavily on Vasion Print for centralized print management, especially in sectors like government, healthcare, and finance, face elevated risks due to the strategic importance of these services.

1. Immediately upgrade Vasion Print Virtual Appliance Host and Application to versions 25.1.102 and 25.1.1413 or later, where the vulnerability is remediated. 2. Restrict access to Docker images and container registries to trusted personnel only, employing strong authentication and access controls. 3. Implement filesystem access controls on the appliance hosts to prevent unauthorized reading of configuration files. 4. Rotate any cryptographic keys or tokens associated with the SaaS Ids after applying patches to invalidate potentially compromised keys. 5. Monitor network traffic and logs for suspicious activity related to print management services, including unusual decryption attempts or access patterns. 6. Employ container image scanning tools to detect embedded secrets and prevent deployment of vulnerable images. 7. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on container security and cryptographic key management. 8. Educate operational teams about the risks of hardcoded keys and enforce secure development practices to avoid similar issues in future deployments.