Patch Research Engineer
Qualys, Inc.2 hours ago
Pune, IndiaMid Level / Senior
Responsibilities
- Research Apple macOS security advisories, releases, and third-party application updates.
- Create and maintain schema-compliant macOS patch metadata and a centralized patch catalogue repository.
- Develop and validate version-detection, installation, compliance, supersedence, and dependency logic.
- Write automation scripts in Bash, Zsh, and Python for patch-content generation and validation.
- Perform lab-based testing across supported macOS versions and Apple Silicon and Intel architectures, including installation, rollback, and fail-safe scenarios.
- Develop packaging and deployment workflows for DMG, PKG, and ZIP installers.
- Build patch metadata for third-party macOS applications while preventing regressions and system-level side effects.
Requirements
- 3–8 years of experience in patch management, vulnerability content development, or macOS systems administration.
- Strong understanding of macOS architecture, filesystem structure, system internals, system profiling, application bundles, and package receipts.
- Practical experience with macOS Software Update, the softwareupdate command-line utility, PKG and DMG packaging, installer behavior, Launch Daemons, and macOS system services.
- Mandatory Bash and Python scripting proficiency; Zsh experience is a plus.
- Experience with Mac vulnerability management and Mac patch management.
- Understanding of CVE/NVD data, CVSS severity scoring, patch supersedence logic, and enterprise patch-management tools.
- Familiarity with Jamf Pro, Kandji, Intune, Munki, Google Workspace, Apple MDM, Apple Business Manager, Secure Token, and FileVault is preferred or beneficial.
- Understanding of architectural differences between Apple Silicon ARM64 and Intel-based macOS systems.