New Offensive Security
Lab for Connected Vehicles
Launched in Italy
o address the growing threat landscape in connected
mobility, AVL Italy converted its Technical Center in
Cavriago in spring 2025 by adding an Offensive Security
Lab, developed in collaboration with Bizclap. The new facility
establishes a full-stack penetration testing environment for the
automotive industry while extending capabilities to cross-in-
dustry applications.
Core Capabilities
The lab deploys a red-team/blue-team infrastructure for
comprehensive security testing across vehicle architectures.
Testing capabilities include ECUs, gateways, telematics units,
and HMIs using CAN-FD, FlexRay, and Automotive Ethernet
protocols. Dedicated BMS testing focuses on thermal runaway
injection and SOC manipulation scenarios.
The arsenal integrates AVL and Vector toolchains with the
MITRE ATT&CK framework, enabling protocol-aware fuzzing
on UDS, DoIP, and SOME/IP. HiL testing applies CVE-tracked
exploits on automotive RTOS platforms. Advanced persistent
threat simulations reproduce complete kill chains from cloud
backends to edge ECUs, including attack vectors from OBD-II
and USB interfaces through lateral movement in in-vehicle
networks.
Cross-Industry Applications
• Energy storage: industrial BMS and grid inverters
(IEC 62351)
• E-mobility: OCPP 2.0.1 charging infrastructure
• Industrial IoT: OT protocols in Industry 4.0 environments
Compliance and Leadership
Operating under ISO/SAE 21434:2021 certification (achieved
in 2023), the lab ensures compliance with UNR 155/156 re-
quirements for OEM programs. Led by Product Chief Roberto
Di Stefano, who has more than 20 years of expertise, the
team applies DevSecOps principles consistently from concept
through end of life.
The Expanding TARA Landscape
TARA represents a central role in assuring vehicle cyber
security. In the past, only selected components were subject
to analysis; today, every control unit and subsystem requires
continuous risk assessment throughout its lifecycle.
The reason is clear: the threat environment is constantly
evolving. New electronic control units, over-the-air updates,
and connected services all introduce new vulnerabilities. As a
result, the number of TARAs required per vehicle program has
increased dramatically. Managing this workload with static
spreadsheets is no longer feasible. Risk models must be con-
tinuously updated, changes tracked, and results reintegrated
into system-level security concepts. Without automation and
tool support, this cannot be sustained.
Opportunities Beyond Automotive
While the car and truck segments continue to refine efficiency
and automation, agriculture, construction, and off-highway
machinery must now establish their cyber security capabilities
from the ground up. The CRA will require rapid progress in
governance, processes, and tooling. Drawing on its automo-
tive experience, AVL supports these industries in transferring
proven practices to their specific environments – bridging the
maturity gap before compliance deadlines arrive.
Future Path: Smarter, Transparent Cyber Security
The number of TARAs will rise with increasing system com-
plexity and faster change. Cyber security testing is crucial to
validate assumptions, find vulnerabilities, and ensure mea-
sures work effectively. Automation and AI are vital for scalable
cyber security, but transparency is non-negotiabl – regulators
demand traceable, reproducible evidence of assessments,
tests, and updates. AVL combines advanced automation with
full auditability, achieving efficiency while maintaining compli-
ance. This balance keeps cyber security sustainable, scalable,
and prepared for future regulatory demands.
AVL’s Cyber Security
Expertise at a Glance
• More than 10 years of experience in automotive
cyber security
• Over 250 completed TARAs and security concept
definitions
• Numerous gap analyses, cyber security training
courses, and consulting projects across industries
and regions
• Dozens of penetration testing projects with OEMs
and suppliers worldwide, End-to-end software
toolchain provided through AVL SecGuard
2025