# Commercial Drone Reverse Engineer / Vulnerability Researcher **Company**: Kudu Dynamics **Location**: Columbia, MD **Work arrangement**: onsite **Experience**: senior **Job type**: full-time **Salary**: $107,900.00 - $195,050.00 **Category**: Defence & Intelligence **Industry**: Technology **Apply**: https://leidos.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/job/Columbia-MD/Commercial-Drone-Reverse-Engineer---Vulnerability-Researcher_R-00195228?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_a38c2523-ee0 ## Description Kudu Dynamics is seeking a Commercial Drone Reverse Engineer / Vulnerability Researcher to join their team. The successful candidate will work on a new project researching and developing advanced capabilities through vulnerability research, reverse engineering, and exploitation of commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The role involves investigating commercial drone hardware, firmware, embedded software, communications protocols, and supporting systems to identify vulnerabilities, characterize system behavior, and develop and demonstrate proof-of-concept capabilities. Responsibilities Include: - Conducting vulnerability research and reverse engineering of commercial drones, embedded firmware, flight controllers, and supporting software - Identifying, analyzing, and validating software and hardware vulnerabilities, including developing proof-of-concept exploits - Performing static and dynamic analysis of embedded firmware, binaries, and communications protocols - Investigating command and control, telemetry, navigation, and other interfaces to identify security-relevant behaviors and attack surfaces - Discovering interesting edge cases, undocumented functionality, and exploitable conditions - Designing and assembling hardware and software test harnesses for lab-based experimentation, debugging, and vulnerability validation - Developing and adapting tools for firmware analysis, fuzzing, debugging, instrumentation, and automated vulnerability discovery - Researching system security mechanisms, including authentication, encryption, secure boot, firmware updates, and hardware protections - Scripting/automating reverse engineering, testing, and experimental activities where possible - Developing and demonstrating proof-of-concept capabilities in controlled laboratory environments - Critically analyzing, interpreting, documenting, and communicating technical findings and experimental results Minimum Qualifications: - Active TS/SCI security clearance - Ability to work onsite at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland - Degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience - Demonstrated experience with software or firmware reverse engineering, particularly embedded systems - Experience identifying, analyzing, and validating software vulnerabilities, including developing proof-of-concept exploits - Strong programming and scripting experience in Python and/or C/C++ - Experience with reverse engineering and debugging tools such as Ghidra, IDA Pro, Binary Ninja, GDB, or equivalent - Familiarity with embedded processor architectures, assembly language, memory management, and low-level software analysis - Knowledge of common software vulnerability classes, memory corruption, input validation weaknesses, and vulnerability research techniques - Experience analyzing unfamiliar software or hardware systems to understand functionality, identify attack surfaces, and develop original research approaches - Ability to independently design experiments, troubleshoot complex problems, and communicate technical findings Nice-to-have Qualifications: - Experience with vulnerability research or reverse engineering of commercial drones, unmanned aircraft systems, or other complex embedded platforms - Experience with binary exploitation, exploit development, fuzzing, and vulnerability discovery automation - Familiarity with ARM, RISC-V, or other embedded processor architectures - Experience with embedded Linux, real-time operating systems (RTOS), bootloaders, and firmware update mechanisms - Experience with firmware extraction, flash memory analysis, and hardware-assisted reverse engineering - Familiarity with hardware debugging interfaces such as JTAG, SWD, UART, SPI, I2C, and CAN - Experience with hardware instrumentation, including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and software-defined radios - Knowledge of wireless communications, RF analysis, digital signal processing, and proprietary communications protocols - Familiarity with drone communications protocols, including MAVLink, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and proprietary command and control links - Familiarity with GNSS, inertial navigation, sensor fusion, and flight control systems - Experience reverse engineering mobile applications, ground control stations, or cloud-connected embedded systems - Experience with MATLAB, GNU Radio, or similar signal processing and modeling tools - Experience with analog and digital circuit design, physical prototyping, and lab-based experimental test harnesses - Experience supporting U.S. Government or Department of Defense research and development programs The salary range for this position is $107,900.00 - $195,050.00. ## Skills ### Required - Python - C/C++ - reverse engineering - vulnerability research - embedded systems - firmware analysis - fuzzing - debugging - instrumentation - automated vulnerability discovery ### Nice to have - ARM - RISC-V - embedded Linux - RTOS - bootloaders - firmware update mechanisms - hardware debugging interfaces - wireless communications - RF analysis - digital signal processing - proprietary communications protocols --- Source: [Apply at leidos.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com](https://leidos.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/job/Columbia-MD/Commercial-Drone-Reverse-Engineer---Vulnerability-Researcher_R-00195228?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)