Vulnerability Research on Mobile Devices (Internship Project)

Duration: 2 - 4 Months
Internship Type: Undergraduate, Pre-University

Mobile applications and operating systems have become more complex, which leads to bugs in the code. Some of these bugs cause minor instability of the software. However, some bugs could be exploited and lead to compromise of the mobile device.

This project aims to research into techniques to discover vulnerabilities in mobile applications and operating systems, assess their impact and develop ways to mitigate them.

Scope & Deliverables

• Research into a publicly reported vulnerability on Android or iOS.
• Assess the impact of the vulnerability and develop a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the impact.
• Assess existing mitigations against the vulnerability.
• Assess if similar vulnerabilities may remain in the mobile software or similar software.
• Develop mitigations against the vulnerability or similar vulnerabilities.

Prerequisites/Skills Required

• Strong interest in mobile device security
• Experienced in C/C++ programming and mobile application development
• Basic understanding of reverse engineering, ARM assembly language and software vulnerabilities (e.g. basic buffer overflows etc.) is highly recommended
• Applicant should indicate preference in Android or iOS (if any)

In your application, please submit the following documents in a single PDF file for 'Resume/CV':
1. Resume/CV
2. All Education Certificates to-date (from secondary to tertiary education)

• GCE 'O'/'N' Levels, NITEC
• Prelim/GCE 'A' Levels, IB/Diploma
• Latest university transcript from Year 1 (for current undergraduates)

3. Student Status Letter/Degree Audit (for current undergraduates)