Master Thesis: Security and Performance Aspects of Using WebAssembly (WASM) in Embedded Systems

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About this opportunity

WebAssembly (WASM) is an emerging portable binary instruction format designed for safe, efficient, and fast execution across heterogeneous computing platforms. Initially created for web browsers, WASM has expanded beyond its origins to support non-web environments such as serverless computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and embedded systems. 

Embedded systems are increasingly required to run complex, modular applications that demand both high performance and robust security guarantees. Traditionally, such systems rely on native binaries compiled for specific architectures, which often leads to platform fragmentation, security vulnerabilities due to unsafe code execution, and limited portability. 

WASM offers a compelling alternative by providing

• Portability across architectures via a standardized virtual machine (VM). 
• Sandboxed execution for enhanced security isolation. 
• Predictable performance close to native speeds through just-in-time (JIT) or ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation. 

However, the adoption of WASM in resource-constrained embedded environments is still in its early stages. The runtime overhead, memory footprint, and actual effectiveness of WASM’s sandboxing in low-level environments remain underexplored. This research seeks to fill that gap. 

What you will do

This thesis will investigate how WebAssembly performs and provides security in embedded systems with limited CPU, memory, and storage resources. You will explore questions such as:

• How does WASM compare with native binaries in terms of latency, throughput, and energy efficiency?
• What runtime overhead do WASM engines, such as Wasmtime, Wasmer, and WAMR, introduce in constrained environments?
• How effective are WASM sandboxing and memory safety mechanisms against threats such as buffer overflows and code injection?
• What are the trade-offs between performance optimization and strong security isolation?
  
  
  

Your work will include

• Reviewing current research on WASM security and performance.
• Benchmarking WASM applications against native C/C++ implementations on platforms such as Raspberry Pi, ESP32, or ARM Cortex-A.
• Measuring CPU utilization, memory consumption, execution latency, throughput, and energy efficiency.
• Assessing sandboxing and isolation mechanisms through controlled security tests.
• Comparing lightweight WASM runtimes based on footprint, compile-time options, and scalability.
• Developing best practices or architectural recommendations for secure and efficient WASM deployment in embedded systems.
• Presenting the results at the conclusion of the thesis.

The skills you bring

• Master’s student in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, or a related field.
• You have an interest in embedded systems, WebAssembly, software security, and performance evaluation.
• You have programming experience in C/C++ and an interest in benchmarking and experimental analysis.
• You are comfortable researching technical topics and presenting your findings clearly.

Why join Ericsson?

At Ericsson, you´ll have an outstanding opportunity. The chance to use your skills and imagination to push the boundaries of what´s possible. To build solutions never seen before to some of the world’s toughest problems. You´ll be challenged, but you won’t be alone. You´ll be joining a team of diverse innovators, all driven to go beyond the status quo to craft what comes next.

What happens once you apply?

Click Here to find all you need to know about what our typical hiring process looks like.Encouraging a diverse and inclusive organization is core to our values at Ericsson, that's why we champion it in everything we do. We truly believe that by collaborating with people with different experiences we drive innovation, which is essential for our future growth. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply and realize their full potential as part of our Ericsson team. Ericsson is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. learn more.

Primary country and city: Sweden (SE) || Linköping