Principal Linux Security Researcher - Cortex

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place.

Who We Are

In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us!

We believe collaboration thrives in person. That’s why most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when it’s needed. This model supports real-time problem-solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Senior/Principal Linux Security Researcher for our Tel Aviv R&D center to advance our Cortex-XDR Agent for the Linux platform, which provides runtime protection to servers and cloud workloads. In this role, you will be a key member of a team responsible for researching, developing, and improving our Anti-Exploit and Anti-Malware capabilities. Your work will involve deep exploration of OS internals, exploits, malware, delving into cloud security, and finding ways to mitigate new attack vectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and improve state-of-the-art endpoint security solutions focused on comprehensive prevention. This includes broad defense against attack classes like malware and exploits, spanning from low-level mitigations to application-level security
• Research Linux OS internals, kernel, application codebases, vulnerabilities, malware and exploits 
• Respond to security events coming from customers, in the context of malware and exploitation prevention

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of some operating system internals is a must - Knowledge of Linux is an advantage
• Development experience in C/C++/Rust is a must, 3 years at least
• Experience in security research - 3 years at least
• Experience in reverse engineering - both static and dynamic, is a must (x86/64 architectures), 3 years at least
• Development knowledge in some scripting languages is a must - Experience with Python is an advantage
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to take initiative

Preferred Qualifications

• Exploitation experience is an advantage (either application-level security or memory corruption)
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, containers, and cloud workload security.
• Experience leading endpoint security projects across organizational boundaries and teams
• Academic experience 
• Published security research, conference presentations, or CVEs.

Our Commitment

We’re trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at  [email protected].

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.