Pranav Waghanna
Security Researcher | System Programmer | Software Engineer
MS CS @ University of Rochester • Focused on cybersecurity, cryptography, and low-level systems programming
> About
$ Graduate student pursuing MS in Computer Science at the University of Rochester, specializing in Computer Security Foundations, Cryptography, and Collaborative Programming.
$ Currently developing a kernel-level rootkit that manipulates the VFS layer to hide files, spoof data, and maintain stealth. This research explores advanced persistence techniques and kernel-space programming.
$ Built a distributed version control system from scratch in Rust and developed an AR classroom engagement platform using Snap Spectacles, demonstrating expertise across systems programming, distributed computing, and immersive technologies.
$ Former Full Stack Developer at Huf India, where I led a team of 8 engineers building industrial IoT solutions. Reduced manual processing time from 1 week to seconds through automation.
$ Passionate about penetration testing, exploit development, and systems security. Active participant in HTB challenges and cryptography competitions.
> Skills
Security & Crypto
Systems & Low-Level
Software Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
> Projects
Houdini - VFS Rootkit
Advanced kernel-level rootkit targeting VFS layer to hide files, spoof data, and maintain persistence. Implements stealth techniques to evade detection.
eBPF System Monitor
Real-time kernel-level security monitoring tool using eBPF for syscall tracing. Tracks process execution, file operations, and network activity with intelligent behavioral detection for malicious patterns.
RoomSense - AR Classroom Engagement
AR/VR solution using Snap Spectacles to provide real-time student engagement tracking, anonymous Q&A, and lecture management. Achieved 8.75/10 satisfaction rating in user studies.
LHUPR - Distributed Version Control
Lightweight distributed version control system built from scratch in Rust. Implements commits, branching, merging, and remote sync with modular architecture following information hiding principles.
Cryptopals Challenges
Implemented solutions covering block cipher modes, stream ciphers, padding oracle attacks, and key recovery. Refactored in C for 60% performance improvement.
HTB Penetration Testing
Completed 7+ HackTheBox labs demonstrating reconnaissance, exploitation, and reporting. Developed custom automation scripts reducing exploit time by 30%.
UFW Security Configuration Guide
Comprehensive documentation and implementation guide for Linux firewall configuration using Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW). Covers security scenarios, best practices, and real-world deployment strategies.
Industrial IoT Platform
Led team of 8 engineers building MERN stack application for real-time production monitoring. Integrated ESP32 microprocessors and ThingSpeak for data collection.
> Experience
Full Stack Developer
Huf India Pvt. Ltd
- •Led and managed a team of 8 engineers in developing a MERN stack application;provided real-time production data, enabling quicker decision-making.
- •Integrated Ant-Design forms for streamlined data submission and automated task scheduling through cron jobs, decreasing manual data entry errors by 15% and freeing up 10 hours per week for plant supervisors.
- •Leveraged ThingSpeak to store and retrieve data of produced items sent by ESP32 microprocessor. Utilized AWS EC2 instance to host the server along with Netlify for the frontend.
- •Engineered role-based access controls enabling technicians to monitor production via CanvasJS dashboards, trigger automated maintenance alerts, and perform quality assessments, resulting in 15\% fewer errors weekly
- •Reduced the manual processing time of the internal work from 1 week to a few seconds through digitization of documents and instant generation of graphs.
- •Implemented role-based access controls and automated maintenance alerts
> Campus Leadership Activities
Co-Founder & Lead Engineer
The Automobile Club (TorqScrew Racing), PICT
Pune, India
- •Co-founded the club as one of five founding members, growing the team from 5 to 40 members
- •Mentored 20 members to design and manufacture the team's first formula kart for FKDC competition
- •Led research and development of 3 critical subsystems: Steering, Braking, and Powertrain
- •Fabricated 80% of the frame using MIG welding and lathe operations within 0.1-inch tolerance
- •Created detailed CAD models in SolidWorks and performed structural strength analysis
- •Selected as primary kart driver after achieving best lap times during testing
> Interests
Formula 1
Passionate follower of Formula 1, fascinated by race strategy, telemetry, aerodynamics, and the engineering tradeoffs behind peak performance.
Kart Racing
National Kart Racing competitor with experience in vehicle dynamics, structural analysis and manufacturing techniques. Participated in Formula Kart Design Challenge 2023(FKDC).
Martial Arts
Practice focused on discipline, consistency, and mental resilience. Training in Kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, and Muay Thai.
Video Gaming
Enjoy competitive and strategy-based games such as Age of Empires, No Man's Sky, and Counter Strike.
> Get In Touch
Interested in collaborating on security research or discussing opportunities?
Rochester, New York • +1 585-537-9675