Senior/ Principal Security Researcher - MacOS (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 looking for a macOS Security Researcher for our Tel Aviv R&D center to work on Cortex-XDR for Mac. You will be part of a team in charge of researching, developing, and improving Anti-Malware and Anti-Exploit capabilities. This role involves researching OS internals, exploits, malware, and finding ways to mitigate new attack vectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and improve anti-exploitation mitigations and anti-malware modules.
• Research macOS internals, application code bases, vulnerabilities, and exploits.
• Research malware and find different ways to detect and prevent them.
• Analyze customer data to help with detecting and preventing malicious activities in our customers’ networks.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of some Unix-based operating system internals.
• Experience in security research - 3 years at least
• Minimum 2 years of development experience in C/C++.
• Development knowledge in one or more scripting languages.
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to take initiative.

Preferred Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of macOS internals.
• Development experience in Swift or Objective C.
• Experience with python or Lua scripting languages.
• Experience in reverse engineering - both static and dynamic (arm/x86/64 architectures).
• Exploitation experience (either application level security or memory corruptions).

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  accommodations@paloaltonetworks.com.

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.