Trail of Bits Secure Workflow Guide
Purpose
Guides through Trail of Bits' secure development workflow - a 5-step process to enhance smart contract security throughout development.
Use this: On every check-in, before deployment, or when you want a security review
The 5-Step Workflow
Covers a security workflow including:
Step 1: Check for Known Security Issues
Run Slither with 70+ built-in detectors to find common vulnerabilities:
- Parse findings by severity
- Explain each issue with file references
- Recommend fixes
- Help triage false positives
Goal: Clean Slither report or documented triages
Step 2: Check Special Features
Detect and validate applicable features:
- Upgradeability: slither-check-upgradeability (17 upgrade risks)
- ERC conformance: slither-check-erc (6 common specs)
- Token integration: Recommend token-integration-analyzer skill
- Security properties: slither-prop for ERC20
Note: Only runs checks that apply to your codebase
Step 3: Visual Security Inspection
Generate 3 security diagrams:
- Inheritance graph: Identify shadowing and C3 linearization issues
- Function summary: Show visibility and access controls
- Variables and authorization: Map who can write to state variables
Review each diagram for security concerns
Step 4: Document Security Properties
Help document critical security properties:
- State machine transitions and invariants
- Access control requirements
- Arithmetic constraints and precision
- External interaction safety
- Standards conformance
Then set up testing:
- Echidna: Property-based fuzzing with invariants
- Manticore: Formal verification with symbolic execution
- Custom Slither checks: Project-specific business logic
Note: Most important activity for security
Step 5: Manual Review Areas
Analyze areas automated tools miss:
- Privacy: On-chain secrets, commit-reveal needs
- Front-running: Slippage protection, ordering risks, MEV
- Cryptography: Weak randomness, signature issues, hash collisions
- DeFi interactions: Oracle manipulation, flash loans, protocol assumptions
Search codebase for these patterns and flag risks
For detailed instructions, commands, and explanations for each step, see WORKFLOW_STEPS.md.
How I Work
When invoked, I will:
- Explore your codebase to understand structure
- Run Step 1: Slither security scan
- Detect and run Step 2: Special feature checks (only what applies)
- Generate Step 3: Visual security diagrams
- Guide Step 4: Security property documentation
- Analyze Step 5: Manual review areas
- Provide action plan: Prioritized fixes and next steps
Adapts based on:
- What tools you have installed
- What's applicable to your project
- Where you are in development
Rationalizations (Do Not Skip)
| Rationalization | Why It's Wrong | Required Action |
|---|---|---|
| "Slither not available, I'll check manually" | Manual checking misses 70+ detector patterns | Install and run Slither, or document why it's blocked |
| "Can't generate diagrams, I'll describe the architecture" | Descriptions aren't visual - diagrams reveal patterns text misses | Execute slither --print commands, generate actual visual outputs |
| "No upgrades detected, skip upgradeability checks" | Proxies and upgrades are often implicit or planned | Verify with codebase search before skipping Step 2 checks |
| "Not a token, skip ERC checks" | Tokens can be integrated without obvious ERC inheritance | Check for token interactions, transfers, balances before skipping |
| "Can't set up Echidna now, suggesting it for later" | Property-based testing is Step 4, not optional | Document properties now, set up fuzzing infrastructure |
| "No DeFi interactions, skip oracle/flash loan checks" | DeFi patterns appear in unexpected places (price feeds, external calls) | Complete Step 5 manual review, search codebase for patterns |
| "This step doesn't apply to my project" | "Not applicable" without verification = missed vulnerabilities | Verify with explicit codebase search before declaring N/A |
| "I'll provide generic security advice instead of running workflow" | Generic advice isn't actionable, workflow finds specific issues | Execute all 5 steps, generate project-specific findings with file:line references |
Example Output
When I complete the workflow, you'll get a comprehensive security report covering:
- Step 1: Slither findings with severity, file references, and fix recommendations
- Step 2: Special feature validation results (upgradeability, ERC conformance, etc.)
- Step 3: Visual diagrams analyzing inheritance, functions, and state variable authorization
- Step 4: Documented security properties and testing setup (Echidna/Manticore)
- Step 5: Manual review findings (privacy, front-running, cryptography, DeFi risks)
- Action plan: Critical/high/medium priority tasks with effort estimates
- Workflow checklist: Progress on all 5 steps
For a complete example workflow report, see EXAMPLE_REPORT.md.
What You'll Get
Security Report:
- Slither findings with severity and fixes
- Special feature validation results
- Visual diagrams (PNG/PDF)
- Manual review findings
Action Plan:
- Critical issues to fix immediately
- Security properties to document
- Testing to set up (Echidna/Manticore)
- Manual areas to review
Workflow Checklist:
- Clean Slither report
- Special features validated
- Visual inspection complete
- Properties documented
- Manual review done
Getting Help
Trail of Bits Resources:
- Office Hours: Every Tuesday (schedule)
- Empire Hacking Slack: #crytic and #ethereum channels
Other Security:
- Remember: Security is about more than smart contracts
- Off-chain security (owner keys, infrastructure) equally critical
Ready to Start
Let me know when you're ready and I'll run through the workflow with your codebase!