Mercor
MercorVerified listing
Remote

CVE Vulnerability Expert | $70-$90/hr Remote

70–90/hr
Remote · Remote — United States
Posted August 26, 2026
hourly
3 openings

Overview

You will review vulnerability-reproduction and remediation assignments that feed the training and evaluation pipeline of a frontier AI lab. Each assignment asks you to judge whether CVE reproductions match the real-world flaw, whether the proposed fix actually eliminates the risk, and whether the verification logic can catch a regression. You will also inspect Docker Compose environments to confirm they recreate the exploitable condition described in the CVE. The output is a structured, rubric-based evaluation that shapes how the lab improves its model training data. The role is a remote, hourly engagement for security professionals based in the United States.

What You'll Do6

  • 1Review CVE reproduction reports and determine whether the documented exploit steps match the real-world vulnerability.
  • 2Scrutinize proposed remediation code and flag any fix that leaves part of the underlying weakness open or introduces new problems.
  • 3Evaluate the strength of two-part verification suites, checking both the functionality test and the vulnerability test for blind spots.
  • 4Run and inspect Docker Compose lab environments to confirm they reproduce the exact exploitable condition described in the CVE.
  • 5Assign severity and classification scores using frameworks like CVSS, CWE, and CAPEC when judging the reproduction's completeness.
  • 6Write clear, rubric-based evaluation notes that explain each scoring decision and highlight concrete gaps for the task authors.

Requirements9

  • 1At least 3 years of hands-on application security, penetration testing, or vulnerability research experience.
  • 2Working familiarity with CVE taxonomy and severity scoring, including CVSS, CWE, and CAPEC.
  • 3Demonstrated skill in secure coding review and remediation across vulnerability classes such as SQL injection, command injection, buffer overflow, deserialization, SSRF, and privilege escalation.
  • 4Experience designing or evaluating two-part verification logic: a functionality test paired with a vulnerability test.
  • 5Practical knowledge of Docker and Docker Compose for building multi-container environments that reproduce exploitable conditions.
  • 6An offensive security certification such as OSCP, GPEN, or GWAPT.
  • 7Prior work in responsible disclosure, CVE submission, or maintaining exploit proof-of-concept code.
  • 8Experience with DevSecOps, CI/CD security gating, or SAST/DAST tooling.
  • 9Previous involvement in technical content review, assessment design, or QA for security-focused engineering tasks.

Who Should Apply

The ideal candidate is a security practitioner who has spent years reproducing vulnerabilities and judging whether patches close the hole. If you can inspect a Docker Compose lab and see right away whether the exploit condition is realistic, this contract fits you. This role is less suitable for security engineers who focus on building defenses and have limited exposure to exploit development or CVE analysis. Candidates often get screened out when their background leans toward policy or GRC instead of hands-on exploitation. Another common miss is being unable to explain how a verification suite can pass while the underlying vulnerability remains.

Salary Insight

The contract pays $70-$90 per hour. For a security review role requiring CVE reproduction and exploit logic expertise, that rate sits at the senior end of independent consulting rates in the U.S. market. The pay band reflects the specialized nature of the evaluation and the expectation of fast, high-quality technical judgment.

Location

Typeremote
LocationRemote — United States
Eligible countriesUnited States
This is a remote position

Required Skills

cvecvsscwecapecpenetration testingvulnerability researchsql injectioncommand injectionbuffer overflowdeserializationssrfprivilege escalationdockerdocker composeoscpgpengwaptdevsecops

Application Tip

In your application, describe one CVE you have reproduced or reviewed and walk through how you would evaluate its verification logic. Name the exact Docker setup and the frameworks you applied, and be ready to explain why a specific remediation was either sound or incomplete.

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