Catch bugs before they become exploits
For the past few months, our team at CoinFabrik has been working on something we believe the Polkadot ecosystem truly needed: a fast, open-source tool that helps developers catch security issues before their code hits production.
We’re excited to share that Scout now supports Substrate code. This new release was built with the support of the Polkadot Assurance Legion (PAL), whose mission is to strengthen the security of the entire ecosystem.
What is Scout?
Scout is a static analysis tool that helps you identify vulnerabilities in your code, before they become exploits. It integrates with your existing workflow through:
- CLI
- GitHub Actions
- VSCode Extension
It has no setup friction: the tool integrates right into where developers already work and helps enforce best practices from day one.
Scout was first used for ink! smart contracts and later extended to support Soroban (Stellar). Now, it also supports the Substrate framework.
Substrate devs deserve better security
Substrate powers everything in the Polkadot ecosystem, from parachains to system chains. As projects ship faster and code complexity grows, so does the risk of bugs slipping through.
Vulnerabilities in runtime logic, unsigned extrinsics, or unsafe Rust patterns can lead to:
- Broken runtimes
- Network congestion
- Token minting bugs
- And more…
Scout scans your code in seconds and provides actionable reports before any of these issues surface.
Who is Scout for?
If you’re building on Polkadot using Substrate and/or ink!, Scout is for you.
Whether you’re writing your own chain, tweaking pallets, or maintaining Substrate code, Scout helps you:
- Catch bugs early
- Save time debugging
- Ship safer code, faster
We built it for devs and auditors. It’s free, open-source, and made to fit into your workflow—not interrupt it.
Why PAL backed this
PAL was formed with a clear mission: to raise the bar on security across the ecosystem. As outlined in Polkadot’s recent blog post, the goal of PAL is to “foster a culture of proactive security” and support tools that strengthen the ecosystem.
That’s exactly why Scout for Substrate was funded. It raises the security baseline before audits, and long before code goes live.
Ready to try it?
Start using Scout now. You can also see Scout in action in the video walkthroughs below to get started in minutes:
We’d love to hear your feedback. If you’re a Substrate dev, send us bug reports, suggest new detectors, or help shape the next iteration.
This is just the beginning.
Scout is live. Try it, use it, and help us make Substrate code safer for everyone.
