Vulnerability Research and Exploit Developer

CACI•Fort Meade, MD

8d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Vulnerability Research and Exploit Developer (VRED) at CACI, you will play a crucial role supporting DoD and IA/IC requirements analyzing and exploiting mobile and network devices. You will be responsible for identifying and exploiting security weaknesses in complex systems while working closely with interagency partners within an interagency facility. Your role will involve seamless integration with Joint Cyber Operations Group (JCOG) personnel to ensure non-disruptive mission execution. This position demands strong analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. The successful candidate will attain and maintain a Polygraph and Top Secret/SCI (TS/SCI) security clearance.

Requirements

Current Top Secret/SCI (TS/SCI) security clearance with polygraph.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a related field, with a minimum of five years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Proven track record of identifying and exploiting security weaknesses in mobile and network devices.
Strong proficiency in programming languages such as C/C++, Python, and assembly (ARM/x86).
Experience with exploit development techniques, reverse engineering, and vulnerability assessment tools and frameworks (e.g., IDA Pro, Ghidra, Binary Ninja, Frida, GDB/LLDB, QEMU).
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work independently with minimal oversight and function effectively within a team.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field.
Certifications such as OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional), OSED/OSEE (Offensive Security exploit development certifications), GXPN (GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester), and GREM (GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware).
Experience building fuzzing harnesses (e.g., AFL++, libFuzzer, honggfuzz) and triaging the resulting crashes to root cause.
Deep understanding of memory-corruption vulnerability classes (stack/heap overflow, use-after-free, type confusion) and techniques for bypassing modern exploit mitigations (ASLR, DEP/NX, stack canaries, CFI/CFG, PAC, application sandboxing).
Proficiency in reverse engineering closed-source binaries and embedded firmware (static and dynamic analysis).
Hands-on experience with iOS and/or Android internals—sandbox escape, kernel exploitation, baseband, and TrustZone/Secure Enclave—beyond general familiarity.
Demonstrated research output—published CVEs, Pwn2Own results, DEFCON/Black Hat talks, or competitive CTF placements.
Experience with kernel-mode/low-level exploitation and OS internals (e.g., XNU, Linux, Windows), including drivers.
Java/Kotlin for Android-focused vulnerability research; familiarity with Rust or similar memory-safe systems languages is a plus.

Responsibilities

Conduct in-depth vulnerability research and exploit development for mobile and network devices.
Identify and analyze security weaknesses in complex systems, providing actionable insights and solutions.
Experience applying artificial intelligence models and AI-assisted workflows to accelerate vulnerability discovery and exploit development (e.g., LLM-assisted code analysis, reverse engineering, and triage).
Collaborate effectively with interagency partners and JCOG personnel to support mission objectives.
Develop and maintain tools and scripts for automated vulnerability detection and exploitation.
Ensure seamless integration of developed solutions into existing systems without disrupting ongoing operations.
Provide technical guidance and support to team members, fostering a collaborative work environment.
Maintain detailed documentation of research findings, exploit development processes, and solution implementations.
Stay current with cybersecurity/VR/exploit development.