Available for opportunities
Rochester, NY · MS CS
Security Researcher & Systems Engineer

Pranav
Waghanna

MS CS · University of Rochester

Building things at the intersection of systems security and low-level programming. From VFS-layer rootkits to distributed version control - I write code that talks to kernels.

View Résumé
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01

About

Background

I build tools that operate where most engineers don't look - the kernel, the syscall layer, the raw byte stream.

EducationMS Computer Science, University of Rochester (2024–2025). BS Information Technology, PICT Pune (2020–2024).
SpecializationComputer Security Foundations · Cryptography · Systems Programming · Collaborative Software Design.
CurrentlyFreelance Backend Developer at Brydge - social experiences platform built on Node.js, Supabase, and Railway.
ResearchKernel-level rootkit development (VFS hooking), eBPF syscall monitoring, distributed systems in Rust.
InterestsPenetration testing · Exploit development · Formula 1 strategy & engineering · Martial arts · Kart racing.
02

Projects

9 selected works
01
LogStream Engine
High-performance append-only data ingestion system built in Rust. Custom binary TCP protocol, log-structured storage engine with segment files and in-memory indexing. Achieves 60,000+ messages/sec throughput containerized in Docker.
RustTokioTCP+3
02
eBPF System Monitor
Kernel-level security monitoring via syscall tracing - 14K+ events in 32s, zero loss.
eBPFCPython+2
03
Houdini - VFS Rootkit
Stealth kernel module for FreeBSD that hooks VFS-layer functions to hide files and spoof directory output.
CFreeBSDKernel Programming+1
04
RoomSense - AR Classroom
Snap Spectacles AR platform for real-time student engagement at 20 FPS. 8.75/10 satisfaction in user studies.
Next.jsTypeScriptFlask+2
05
LHUPR - Distributed VCS
Full distributed version-control system built from scratch in Rust: commits, branching, merging, remote sync.
RustDistributed SystemsFile Systems
06
Cryptopals Challenges
Block ciphers, stream ciphers, padding oracle attacks, key recovery. Refactored in C for 60% perf gain.
PythonCCryptography
07
HTB Penetration Testing
7+ HackTheBox labs: recon, exploitation, reporting. Custom automation scripts reduced exploit time 30%.
PythonBashMetasploit+1
08
UFW Security Config Guide
Comprehensive implementation guide for Linux firewall config - security scenarios, best practices, real deployments.
LinuxNetwork SecurityBash+1
09
Industrial IoT Platform
Led 8-person team building MERN stack app for real-time production monitoring. Reduced manual work from 1 week to seconds.
ReactNode.jsMongoDB+2
03

Skills

Technical stack
Security & Crypto
Penetration TestingCryptographyWeb FuzzingFootprintingMetasploitPrivilege EscalationActive DirectoryBurp SuiteWeb Security
Systems & Low-Level
CC++RustShell/BashUnixKernel Programming
Software Engineering
MERN StackReactTypescriptNode.jsPythonFlaskJavaGit
Cloud & DevOps
AWS EC2AWS S3DockerCI/CD
04

Experience

Work history
Backend Developer
Brydge · Freelance Contract
Feb 2026 - Present
▸Built a social experiences booking platform - vanilla JS SPA (Vite + Navigo) with Node.js/Express backend deployed on Railway with Supabase (PostgreSQL + Cloudflare R2).
▸Designed and integrated REST APIs for event management, booking workflows, and secure UPI/QR payment processing with automated email notifications.
▸Engineered a CI/CD pipeline via GitHub Actions reducing manual deployment work from hours to minutes; contributed to ₹2L+ revenue in the first 4 weeks.
▸Leveraged AI/LLM tooling to optimize development workflows and improve platform SEO discoverability.
▸Built admin modules for finance tracking, campaign email tooling, user analytics, and a Google Colab data pipeline for bulk user entry classification.
Full Stack Developer
Huf India Pvt. Ltd
Jul 2023 - May 2024
▸Led a team of 8 engineers building a MERN stack industrial IoT platform for real-time production monitoring.
▸Integrated ESP32 microprocessors with ThingSpeak for live sensor data ingestion; hosted on AWS EC2 + Netlify.
▸Reduced manual processing time from 1 week to seconds through document digitisation and automated graph generation.
▸Implemented role-based access controls enabling technicians to view CanvasJS dashboards and trigger automated maintenance alerts - reducing errors by 15% weekly.
▸Integrated Ant-Design forms and cron-scheduled tasks, cutting data entry errors 15% and freeing 10 hours/week for plant supervisors.
05

Leadership

Campus activities
Co-Founder & Lead Engineer
The Automobile Club - TorqScrew Racing, PICT · Pune
2021 - 2024
▸Co-founded as one of five founding members, scaling the team from 5 to 40 members over 3 years.
▸Mentored 20 members through design and manufacture of the team's first formula kart for the FKDC competition.
▸Led R&D across 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 SolidWorks CAD models and performed structural strength analysis.
▸Selected as primary kart driver after recording best lap times during testing.
06

Interests

Outside the terminal
🏎Formula 1

Fascinated by race strategy, telemetry, aerodynamic tradeoffs, and the engineering that separates milliseconds.

🏁Kart Racing

National Kart Racing competitor. Participated in FKDC 2023 with deep hands-on experience in vehicle dynamics and frame fabrication.

🥋Martial Arts

Training in Kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, and Muay Thai - focused on discipline, consistency, and mental resilience.

🎮Strategy Gaming

Competitive and strategy-based games: Age of Empires, No Man's Sky, Counter-Strike.

07

Contact

Get in touch

Open to new
opportunities.

Whether it's security research, systems engineering, or a full-stack role - I'm always happy to talk. Reach out via any of the channels on the right.

Available for opportunities
Email
pranav.waghanna@gmail.com
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/pranav-waghanna
GitHub
github.com/pwaghanna
LocationRochester, New York  ·  +1 585-537-9675