CVE-2017-3298 in PeopleSoft
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: PIA Core Technology). Supported versions that are affected are 8.54 and 8.55. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS v3.0 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts).
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2026
The CVE-2017-3298 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, specifically affecting versions 8.54 and 8.55 of the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component. This vulnerability resides within the PIA Core Technology subcomponent and demonstrates the inherent risks associated with enterprise application frameworks that handle sensitive business data. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage network-based HTTP connections without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous in environments where PeopleSoft applications are exposed to untrusted networks. The security implications extend beyond the immediate PeopleTools component as the vulnerability can potentially impact additional products within the Oracle PeopleSoft ecosystem, creating cascading security risks that organizations must address comprehensively.
The technical flaw manifests as a weakness in the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, allowing unauthenticated attackers to perform unauthorized operations against the PeopleTools infrastructure. This vulnerability operates through HTTP network connections, making it accessible to attackers who can establish network connectivity to the target system. The attack requires human interaction from individuals other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or user manipulation may be necessary to trigger the vulnerability effectively. The CVSS v3.0 base score of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity of the impact, with particular emphasis on confidentiality and integrity implications. Attackers can achieve unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations on specific PeopleTools accessible data, while also gaining unauthorized read access to subsets of data within the PeopleTools environment. This dual impact on both data integrity and confidentiality creates significant risk for organizations relying on PeopleSoft for critical business operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data exposure, as it enables attackers to modify or manipulate core business data within the PeopleSoft environment. The unauthorized update, insert, or delete capabilities can lead to data corruption, financial loss, or operational disruption when critical business processes depend on accurate PeopleTools data. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to sensitive financial information, employee records, or other confidential business data that flows through the PeopleSoft platform. The vulnerability's potential to affect additional products within the Oracle PeopleSoft ecosystem means that a successful exploitation could create broader security incidents across multiple interconnected systems. The requirement for human interaction suggests that organizations may need to implement additional user education and awareness programs to prevent social engineering attacks that could trigger this vulnerability.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft applications, deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and ensuring that affected systems are updated with Oracle's security patches. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a significant concern under ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and credential access tactics. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the broader PeopleSoft ecosystem. System administrators must also implement robust monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts, while maintaining detailed audit trails of all PeopleTools operations to facilitate incident response and forensic analysis. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect enterprise applications from network-based attacks.