Vulnerability Researcher Internship - Summer 2027 in Cheltenham

CoreTech Security’s mission is to deliver high-end security research and bespoke solutions to some of the most interesting cyber security clients in the UK. In practice, this means that we have built a world-class team of vulnerability researchers, reverse engineers, and high-assurance software engineers.

CoreTech is looking for talented students with an active interest in subjects such as ethical hacking, vulnerability research and reverse engineering, to join our world-class research team for a paid summer 2027 internship. If you are going into your final year in 2027 you may be offered a contract for our 2028 graduate intake on completion of your internship.

By working closely with your peers in small, usually two-to-three person teams, our interns rapidly develop the skills necessary to deliver bespoke research and capabilities for our most trusted clients. Our intern projects are chosen specifically to give you direct insight into the sorts of projects we deliver for our clients, with real demands and as-yet unsolved technical challenges you’ll be expected to best.

Our focus is the security of mobile and embedded technologies (although we do occasionally branch out). Our research team use Ghidra as our tool of choice for reverse engineering and produce proof of concepts in the most suitable language for the project which could be C, C++, Python or assembly code. The role requires an inquisitive mindset and enthusiasm for solving challenging research tasks.

An ideal candidate will have:

• A passion for cyber security, a genuine interest in bug hunting and be familiar with recent vulnerabilities.
• A desire to thrive on solving difficult and complex problems.
• Knowledge of vulnerability types (e.g. stack/heap overflow, use after free etc) and common mitigations to prevent such vulnerabilities.
• Familiarity with one or more high-level languages such as C, C++ or Java.

Skills you may have:

• An interest in how software vulnerabilities and exploits work.
• Experience in basic scripting using Python.
• Familiarity with the Linux OS and working in the shell.
• Participation in Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges.
• A basic understanding of how computers communicate (networking).
• Reverse engineering using Ghidra.
• Ethical hacking.
• Familiarity with Android and adb shell.
• Hardware Hacking.
• Strong inter-personal skills and enthusiasm for working with others.

We are looking for interns with a passion and enthusiasm for cyber security. Ideal candidates will be able to demonstrate an active interest and foundation knowledge in several of the skills listed above.

Salary: £28,000 p.a. pro-rata for the Summer period. At the end of your internship you may be offered a role with us for our 2028 intake. If you are not graduating in 2028 then we may offer you a 2029 Summer internship.

Location: We are based in the centre of Cheltenham in a stunning new build contemporary office, 5 minutes walk from the local shops and cafes.

Accommodation: We know that finding a place to live in the Summer can be tricky and expensive. So accommodation will be provided for you, all paid for by us, at a local Student accommodation that is around a 15 minute walk from the office. Complete with High Speed Wi-Fi, bike storage, a laundry room and individual en-suite facilities.

Additional Details: Our interview process is quick and to the point: if you look like a good fit for the role, we'll schedule a brief call to discuss it in more detail and answer any questions you may have. If that goes well, we'll arrange a technical interview to understand your level of experience. We aim to get back to you with an answer within a couple of days of the technical interview.

If you’re looking for a challenging role where you can make a real impact in the world, in a friendly environment and with all the support to advance your career, click apply.