# LockForge: Automating Paper-to-Code for Logic Locking with Multi-Agent Reasoning LLMs

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.18531 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.18531/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 8 of its 25 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 23 Nov 2025.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks](https://mlsanity.com/agents/general-llm-agent-frameworks-and-benchmarks/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 8 of 8)

- [Gemini 1.5: Unlocking multimodal understanding across millions of tokens of context](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.05530/) (2024)
- [LiveCodeBench: Holistic and Contamination Free Evaluation of Large Language Models for Code](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.07974/) (2024)
- [Paper2Code: Automating Code Generation from Scientific Papers in Machine Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.17192/) (2025)
- [LLMs and the Future of Chip Design: Unveiling Security Risks and Building Trust](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.07061/) (2024)
- [VeriLeaky: Navigating IP Protection vs Utility in Fine-Tuning for LLM-Driven Verilog Coding](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.13116/) (2025)
- [TriLock: IC Protection with Tunable Corruptibility and Resilience to SAT and Removal Attacks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.05943/) (2022)
- [AutoLock: Automatic Design of Logic Locking with Evolutionary Computation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.01840/) (2023)
- [DECOR: Enhancing Logic Locking Against Machine Learning-Based Attacks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.01789/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [TrojanGYM: A Detector-in-the-Loop LLM for Adaptive RTL Hardware Trojan Insertion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.17178/) (2026)
- [Enhancing Automated Paper Reproduction via Prompt-Free Collaborative Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.02812/) (2025)
- [GUIDE: GenAI Units In Digital Design Education](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.17296/) (2026)
- [LLMs for Secure Hardware Design and Related Problems: Opportunities and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.10807/) (2026)
- [Hardware Design and Security in the Era of Chiplets and LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.05063/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Despite rapid progress in logic locking (LL), reproducibility remains a challenge as codes are rarely made public. We present LockForge, a first-of-its-kind, multi-agent large language model (LLM) framework that turns LL descriptions in papers into executable and tested code. LockForge provides a carefully crafted pipeline realizing forethought, implementation, iterative refinement, and a multi-stage validation, all to systematically bridge the gap between prose and practice for complex LL schemes. For validation, we devise (i) an LLM-as-Judge stage with a scoring system considering behavioral checks, conceptual mechanisms, structural elements, and reproducibility on benchmarks, and (ii) an independent LLM-as-Examiner stage for ground-truth assessment. We apply LockForge to 10 seminal LL schemes, many of which lack reference implementations. Our evaluation on multiple SOTA LLMs, including ablation studies, reveals the significant complexity of the task. We show that an advanced reasoning model and a sophisticated, multi-stage framework like LockForge are required. We release all implementations and benchmarks, providing a reproducible and fair foundation for evaluation of further LL research.