Research

My research focuses on Operating System Kernel Security, specifically in the areas of kernel vulnerabilities prevention and isolation/compartmentalization techniques. Recently I am researching on eBPF—an innovative in-kernel virtual machine—and its integration with AI models, to enhance both the security and performance aspects of the kernel. Currently, I am particularly interested in data-driven performance optimization in operating systems and applying machine learning techniques to improve system performance.

In the News

LWN.net

Reconsidering the Multi-Generational LRU

Jonathan Corbet · March 5, 2026

A discussion on the future of MGLRU in the Linux kernel—the alternative memory reclamation mechanism that uses multiple generations to decide which memory pages to keep in RAM. The article covers the challenges, maintenance status, and path forward for this critical kernel subsystem, to be discussed at the 2026 Linux Storage, Filesystem, Memory-Management and BPF Summit.

Experience

  • 2024 – now

    Honor Device

    Senior Operating System Engineer
  • 2023 – 2024

    University of Colorado Boulder

    Visiting Scholar, Computer Science Department
    Advisor: Prof. Yueqi Chen
  • 2018 – 2024

    Nanjing University

    Ph.D., State Key Lab for Novel Software Technology
    Advisor: Prof. Qingkai Zeng · Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate
  • 2014 – 2018

    Jilin University

    B.Sc., College of Software Engineering
    Cum Laude

Publications

  1. Research on Real-time Defense Against Kernel Vulnerabilities Based on eBPF
    基于eBPF技术的内核漏洞实时防御研究
    Zicheng Wang
    Ph.D. Thesis, 2024
    Outstanding Ph.D. Thesis, NJU CS Department
  2. SeaK: Rethinking the Design of a Secure Allocator for OS Kernel
    Zicheng Wang, Yicheng Guang, Yueqi Chen, Zhenpeng Lin, Michael Le, Dang K Le, Dan Williams, Xinyu Xing, Zhongshu Gu, Hani Jamjoom
    USENIX Security Symposium (Security), 2024
  3. PET: Prevent Discovered Errors from Being Triggered in the Linux Kernel
    Zicheng Wang, Yueqi Chen, Qingkai Zeng
    USENIX Security Symposium (Security), 2023
    NJU International Conference Funding
  4. BULKHEAD: Secure, Scalable, and Efficient Kernel Compartmentalization with PKS
    Yinggang Guo, Zicheng Wang, Weiheng Bai, Qingkai Zeng, Kangjie Lu
    Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS), 2025
  5. Stop! Sandboxing Exploitable Functions and Modules Using In-Kernel Machine Learning
    Qinrun Dai, Tiejin Chen, Zicheng Wang, Hua Wei, Yueqi Chen
    BlackHat USA 2024 Briefing · Linux Security Summit Europe 2024
  6. An Infrastructure For Preventing Compromise of Operating System Kernels Due to Discovered Errors
    Yueqi Chen, Zicheng Wang
    Provisional US Patent Application No.: 63/464,887
  7. When eBPF Meets Machine Learning: On-the-fly OS Kernel Compartmentalization
    Zicheng Wang, Tiejin Chen, Qinrun Dai, Yueqi Chen, Hua Wei, Qingkai Zeng
    arXiv:2401.05641
  8. Kill Latest MPU-based Protections in Just One Shot: Targeting All Commodity RTOSes
    Minghao Lin, Zicheng Wang, Jiahe Wang, Chaoyang Lin, Minghang Shen, Yueqi Chen
    BlackHat USA 2023 Briefing
  9. HotBPF++: A More Powerful Memory Protection for the Linux Kernel
    Zicheng Wang, Yueqi Chen
    Linux Security Summit North America, 2023
    Linux Foundation $1,600 Travel Fund
  10. 基于eBPF的内核堆漏洞动态缓解研究
    Wang Zicheng, Guo Yinggang, Zhong Bingnan, Chen Yueqi, Zeng Qingkai
    软件学报, 2023
  11. Formal Modeling and Security Analysis for Intra-level Privilege Separation
    Yinggang Guo, Zicheng Wang, Bingnan Zhong, Qingkai Zeng
    Annual Computer Security Applications Conference (ACSAC), 2022
  12. AttnCall: Refining Indirect Call Targets in Binaries with Attention
    Rui Sun, Yinggang Guo, Zicheng Wang, Qingkai Zeng
    European Symposium on Research in Computer Security (ESORICS), 2023
  13. CryptKSP: A Kernel Stack Protection Model Based on AES-NI Hardware Feature
    Bingnan Zhong, Zicheng Wang, Yinggang Guo, Qingkai Zeng
    ICT Systems Security and Privacy Protection (ICT SEC), 2022
  14. ERA: 基于eBPF的内核堆漏洞动态缓解机制
    Zicheng Wang, Yinggang Guo, Yueqi Chen, Qingkai Zeng
    中国Linux内核开发者大会 (CLK), 2022
  15. 从内核到APP: eBPF驱动的跨层性能分析
    Zicheng Wang, Zhen Wang, Lu Liu
    第三届 eBPF开发者大会, 2025
  16. Evolving Beyond Pressure: RL-enhanced Camera Launch for Resource-Critical Scenarios
    Zicheng Wang, Zesen Liu, Lizhi Sun, Yinggang Guo, Ligeng Chen (Honor Device Co., Ltd), Yixin Guo, Claire Gu, Jun Xiao, Tao Wang, Lu Liu, Yanyan Jiang
    4th Workshop on Practical Adoption Challenges of ML for Systems (PACMI '25)
  17. Data Knows What the App Needs: An Intelligent Resource Watermark for Mobile Systems
    Zesen Liu, Zicheng Wang, Yinggang Guo, Lizhi Sun, Ligeng Chen, Yixin Guo, Claire Gu, Jun Xiao, Tao Wang, Lu Liu, Yanyan Jiang
    4th Workshop on Practical Adoption Challenges of ML for Systems (PACMI '25)

Awards

  • Nanjing University Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate
  • Nanjing University Outstanding Graduate Student
  • 2023 Nanjing University Funding for International Academic Conferences
  • Linux Foundation $1,600 Travel Funding

Teaching Assistant

  • Advanced Object Oriented Programming, 2018 Fall
  • Assembly Programming, 2019 Summer

Services

  • Peer Review: IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security

Open Source

SeaK

Rethinking the Design of a Secure Allocator for OS Kernel

O2C

On-the-fly compartmentalization for kernel vulnerabilities

ERA

eBPF assisted Randomization Allocator to prevent kernel heap vulnerabilities

PET

eBPF framework to prevent discovered errors from being triggered

TA-BattleEinsteinChess

Einstein Chess Battle Server, supports 200+ players

CCFrank4dblp

Displays CCF rank of conferences and journals with ConnectedPapers support