Senior Staff Linux Security Engineer

Crusoe Energy Systems; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & wellbeing

Paid time off

401(k) match

Mental wellness

Job summary

Crusoe Energy Systems is seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer focused on Linux kernel security. You will harden kernel subsystems, triage CVEs, and implement secure, high-assurance kernel components for our AI cloud platform.

You will lead security improvements across kernel internals, work with hardware/hypervisor teams, and mentor junior engineers to raise security standards throughout the development lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of Linux kernel internals and security aspects.
• Experience with securing kernel-level development and reviews.
• Background in vulnerability research and mitigations.

Responsibilities

• Kernel Hardening & CVE triage: implement security enhancements and triage CVEs.
• Access Control, Boot Security & guardrails: enforce MAC, secure boot, CI guardrails and fuzzing coverage.
• Vulnerability Research & Analysis: research kernel, driver, and OS vulnerabilities and backport fixes.
• Secure Development Practices: establish secure coding standards and conduct security-focused reviews.
• Security Auditing & Tools: utilize tools for kernel security auditing, fuzzing, static/dynamic analysis.
• Incident Response Support: assist in root-cause analysis, containment and recovery.
• Performance and Security Balance: ensure security improvements do not unduly affect performance.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: work with hardware, hypervisor, OS, cloud infra, security ops.
• Technical Leadership: mentor junior engineers in kernel security.

Skills

Linux kernel security

Kernel internals

Security vulnerabilities

Mitigation techniques

Secure development practices

Kernel debugging tools

GDB

Crash

KGDB

Valgrind

AddressSanitizers

Fuzzers

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Computer Engineering or related field

Tools

GDB

Crash

KGDB

Valgrind

AddressSanitizers

Fuzzers

Job description

• The Crusoe Cloud Software Development team is seeking a passionate and experienced Senior Staff Software Engineer specializing in Linux Kernel Security
• This critical role is essential in strengthening the security posture of our core Linux kernel and operating system components, which underpin our cutting-edge hardware and software solutions for the AI cloud
• A deep understanding of Linux kernel internals, security vulnerabilities, mitigation techniques, and secure development practices is paramount for developing reliable, high-assurance systems
• This is a full-time position
• Kernel Hardening & CVE Triage: Implement kernel security enhancements, manage configuration hardening, and triage incoming CVEs to assess severity and exploitability
• Access Control, Boot Security & Guardrails: Enforce mandatory access controls, secure the boot path, and establish CI guardrails and fuzzing coverage to prevent regressions
• Vulnerability Research & Analysis: Research vulnerabilities across kernel, driver, and OS components to build proactive mitigations and backport non-trivial upstream fixes to production
• Secure Development Practices: Establish and advocate for secure coding standards and best practices for kernel-level development. Conduct security-focused code reviews to identify and eliminate potential vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle
• Security Auditing & Tools: Utilize and develop specialized tools for kernel security auditing, fuzzing, static analysis, and dynamic analysis to uncover hidden vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security policies
• Incident Response Support: Provide expert support during security incidents involving kernel or OS-level compromises, assisting with root-cause analysis, containment, and recovery efforts
• Performance and Security Balance: Work to ensure that security enhancements do not unduly impact system performance, especially critical for our high-performance AI infrastructure
• First 90 days: Own kernel CVE triage end to end and have shipped at least one backported fix through our full release path. You have an independent read on where our kernel configuration is weakest
• First year: Kernel security response has a defined SLA by severity and we consistently hit it. A hardening baseline is defined, enforced in CI, and rolled out across supported SKUs. Cloud Hypervisor has been audited and the highest-value isolation gaps are closed or scheduled
• Cloud Hypervisor & Isolation: Audit, harden, and reduce privilege across Cloud Hypervisor device models and vhost-user datapaths, contributing upstream security fixes and advancing confidential computing primitives (AMD SEV-SNP, Intel TDX)
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with other engineering teams (hardware, hypervisor, OS development, cloud infrastructure, and security operations) to integrate security best practices and ensure a comprehensive security strategy across the stack
• Technical Leadership: Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers on kernel security best practices, fostering a culture of security awareness and excellence
• Debugging and Root-Cause Analysis: Debug and root-cause a variety of complex security-related issues at the kernel level

Benefits

• Health & wellbeing: Comprehensive health benefits designed to support your overall wellness
• Time away: Paid time off for vacations, family bonding, and unexpected needs
• 401(k) match: Build your financial future with our 401(k) matching program
• Mental wellness: Resources and support for your emotional wellbeing and navigating life’s challenges

• Safety and Compliance: Must be able to pass a background check
• Hardware Security Concepts: Familiarity with hardware-assisted security features (e.g., Intel SGX, AMD SEV, ARM TrustZone) and their relevance to kernel security
• Debugging & Analysis Tools: Proficiency with kernel debugging tools (e.g., GDB, crash, kgdb) and security analysis tools (e.g., valgrind, address sanitizers, fuzzers)
• Experience dealing with CVE Remediation and automation
• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field, and a minimum of 5 years of relevant industry experience with at least 3 years focused on low-level operating systems or kernel security
• First 90 days: You own kernel CVE triage end to end and have shipped at least one backported fix through our full release path. You have an independent read on where our kernel configuration is weakest
• Vulnerability & Exploitation Knowledge: Solid understanding of common kernel vulnerabilities (e.g., privilege escalation, information disclosure, denial of service) and associated exploitation techniques
• First year: Kernel security response has a defined SLA by severity and we consistently hit it. A hardening baseline is defined, enforced in CI, and rolled out across supported SKUs. Cloud Hypervisor has been audited and the highest-value isolation gaps are closed or scheduled
• Company Values: Embody the Company values
• Linux Kernel Security Expertise: Proven deep knowledge of Linux kernel internals (e.g., memory management, process scheduling, system calls, I/O subsystems) with a strong focus on security aspects
• Secure Coding: Strong background in secure coding principles and experience conducting security-focused code reviews, particularly in CSecurity
• Security Mitigations: Experience with existing Linux kernel security mitigations (e.g., ASLR, DEP/NX, SMEP/SMAP, KASLR, namespaces, cgroups, LSMs like SELinux/AppArmor)
• Experience with specific kernel security projects or contributions to open-source kernel security initiatives
• Experience with hardware security modules (HSMs) or Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs)
• Familiarity with hypervisor security and the interaction between the hypervisor and the guest kernel’s security
• Background in offensive security or penetration testing at the kernel level