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Junior 5G Vulnerability Researcher
Career Insights for Vulnerability Analyst / Penetration Tester
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What they do
A Vulnerability Analyst or Penetration Tester probes for and exploits security vulnerabilities in web-based applications, networks and systems. Penetration Tests are designed to achieve a specific, attacker-simulated goal and should be requested by customers who are already at their desired security posture. A typical goal could be to access the contents of the prized customer database on the internal network, or to modify a record in an HR system. Vulnerability Assessments are designed to yield a prioritized list of vulnerabilities and are generally for clients who already understand they are not where they want to be in terms of security. The customer already knows they have issues and simply need help identifying and prioritizing them.
$124,644 / year median in New Jersey
+3% projected growth
Job Description
Job Title:
Junior 5G Vulnerability Researcher Job Category:
Engineering Time Type:
Full time Minimum Clearance Required toStart:
None Employee Type:
Regular Percentage of Travel Required:
None Type of Travel:
None •The Opportunity:
We are seeking a Vulnerability Researcher to join our 5G security team, focusing on protocol analysis and firmware reverse engineering. This role is for a practitioner with a strong systems background who is ready to take ownership of research tasks within complex telecommunications stacks. You will work as part of a high-performing group, identifying security flaws in 3GPP protocols and proprietary telecom binaries while developing the automated tooling necessary to secure national mobile infrastructure.Responsibilities:
- Execute research into 3GPP protocols (NGAP, GTP, etc.) to identify crashes and logic flaws using stateful fuzzing techniques.
- Perform static and dynamic analysis on compiled telecom binaries and firmware to understand undocumented protocol logic.
- Support the development of custom Python3 scripts for protocol decoding and automating analysis of "closed-box" systems.
- Assist in mapping state machines within 5G session management flows using symbolic or concolic execution tJools.
- Analyze signaling and data plane components to identify potential attack surfaces in 5G Core and RAN environments.
- Use debugging tools and packet analysis software (e.g., Wireshark) to inspect protocol traffic and hardware state.
- Document research findings and contribute to the development of technical security reports.
Qualifications:
Required:
- 3-5 years of professional experience in software exploitation, reverse engineering, or protocol development.
- Proficiency in software development (C/C++, Python).
- Working knowledge of networking protocols (TCP/IP, SCTP, HTTP/2).
- Experience with disassembly tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, or Binary Ninja.
- Foundational understanding of binary analysis and memory corruption primitives.
- Demonstrated ability to conduct independent technical research and analyze complex software systems.
- Must be a US Citizen and able to obtain/maintain a security clearance
Desired:
- An active TS SCI clearance.
- Experience with software-defined radio (SDR) or cellular testing equipment.
- Working knowledge of cellular networking protocols (3G, 4G, 5G).
- Familiarity with Linux-based telecom network functions.
- Participation in security research projects or CTFs with a focus on networking or pwnable challenges.