Are you motivated to use your knowledge of program synthesis, programming languages, and program analysis to detect security vulnerabilities?  If so, we have a 6 month, full-time internship tenable during June 2021 to May 2022 that will interest you.

Active program synthesis aims at generating a program through ``teacher'' / ``learner'' interactions, where the ``learner'' can ask the ``teacher'' yes/no questions (e.g. is this a valid input to the program?) and equivalence questions (e.g. is this synthesised program equivalent to the real one?) to the teacher.

The aim of this project is to use active program synthesis to produce simple programs that model the behaviour of more complex ones. Specifically, given a program that generates strings (e.g. SQL queries, JSON, or XML documents), the goal of this project is to synthesise a simpler program that generates equivalent strings, but that is easier to analyse for security (e.g. injection vulnerabilities). Through this internship, you will implement, extend, and evaluate state-of-the-art active program synthesis approaches, and help us secure real-world applications. With our help, you will also explore strategies to implement ``teachers'' and guide active synthesis.

Project Outcomes

• Prototype of active synthesis approaches
• Results of experimentation with active program synthesis techniques
• End-of-internship report

Selection Criteria

• Enrolled in a Computer Science or similar program that has a relevant research component
• Intellectual curiosity
• Solid software engineering skills
• Strong programming skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Background in Compilers/Program analysis is a plus

Application

• Apply online with resume & transcript 

This job code is utilized for the majority of our temporary hires. The individual is performing hourly job duties as defined under the Fair Labor Standards Act.