Stefan Peherstorfer

University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Stefan Peherstorfer is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of cybersecurity, reverse engineering, and automated systems. His most notable contribution, the 2014 paper *"Automated reverse engineering using lego"* (34 citations), demonstrates a strikingly creative approach to security research: using a Lego robot to physically fuzz and reverse engineer hand-held smartcard readers used in Internet banking. This work showcases how state machine learning—a technique that systematically probes a system with varied input sequences to infer its internal logic—can be applied to hardware security. By automating the physical interaction with these devices, Peherstorfer proved that even low-cost, off-the-shelf robotics could be repurposed for sophisticated security analysis. His research highlights the growing importance of automated reverse engineering in uncovering vulnerabilities in embedded systems, and his innovative use of Lego robotics has made the concept accessible and memorable to students and practitioners alike. Peherstorfer’s work remains a compelling example of how creative, low-budget experimentation can yield high-impact insights in cybersecurity.