Software Reverse Engineer

Peraton•Bethesda, MD

2d•$135,000 - $216,000•Onsite

About The Position

Peraton is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Software Reverse Engineer to join our team in Bethesda, MD. In this role, you will perform in-depth analysis of software, firmware, and hardware systems to uncover its true functionality, identify vulnerabilities, and understand their operational context. This position requires a holistic approach, combining dynamic system analysis, static binary reverse engineering, and document exploitation to reveal not just what a system does, but why and how it supports its mission objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree with 8+ years of relevant experience; OR Master's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience; OR PhD with 3+ years of relevant experience. A degree within one of the following fields is highly desired: Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, or Software Engineering. In lieu of a degree, an additional 4 years of relevant experience may be considered.
Active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph is required.
3+ years of demonstrated experience in software reverse engineering, with a preference for backgrounds in material exploitation, malware analysis, or vulnerability research.
Understanding of Windows and Linux operating system internals, x86/x64 and ARM assembly, and CPU architecture.
Experience with static analysis tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, and Binary Ninja.
Experience with debugging tools such as WinDbg, GDB, and similar platforms.
Experience with virtualization, sandboxing, and emulation tools such as VMware, KVM, QEMU, and others.
Experience with the SWRE toolchain, including network analysis tools (Wireshark, nmap) and Linux command-line proficiency.
Experience with forensic disk image analysis to mount, modify, and extract artifacts from raw disk images.
Ability to unpack, de-obfuscate, and analyze highly complex malicious applications.
Experience in Linux/Unix environments, including advanced command-line operations and system-level administration.
Knowledge of low-level programming languages (C, C++, Assembly) and scripting languages such as Python, Java, or .NET.
A solid understanding of common security practices and the ability to identify security flaws in software architecture.

Nice To Haves

Active DoD 8570, IAT Level II Certification.
Knowledge of advanced firmware analysis techniques and methodologies.
Knowledge of secure boot processes.
Familiarity with hardware-level attack techniques such as side-channel analysis or fault injection.
Experience with Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development.
Experience monitoring hardware-level buses and interfaces such as i2C, USB, or JTAG.
Familiarity with risk assessment and mitigation strategies for firmware vulnerabilities.
Strong documentation skills to maintain detailed records of analysis processes and findings.

Responsibilities

Conduct comprehensive analysis of compiled software and binaries.
Employ forensic techniques to extract critical artifacts, understand system architecture, and identify key software components.
Utilize virtualization and sandboxing environments (VMware, KVM/QEMU) to run and observe software in its native operating environment.
Perform system call tracing, network monitoring, and file system analysis to reveal real-time behaviors and interactions.
Perform live, on-system debugging to step through code execution in real-time.
Correlate dynamic findings with static analysis from Ghidra/IDA Pro to validate assumptions, understand complex logic, and uncover obfuscated functionality.
Use advanced reverse engineering tools, with a focus on Ghidra and IDA Pro, to decompile and disassemble software.
Analyze code paths, extract indicators, and uncover hidden or malicious logic not apparent through dynamic analysis alone.
Investigate and identify vulnerabilities, undocumented features, and novel capabilities within target systems.
Develop proof-of-concept exploits and assess their potential operational impact.
Model and simulate specific features and functions to understand how software was developed, compiled, and deployed.
Employ a specialized toolchain for analysis, including disk imagers, virtual machine managers, network scanners, and debuggers to perform end-to-end exploitation.
Mentor junior engineers in SWRE methodologies, tools, and techniques.