MuSe: a Mutation Testing Plugin for the Remix IDE
2026-03-24 • Software Engineering
Software Engineering
AI summaryⓘ
The authors created MuSe, a tool that works inside Remix-IDE to help test smart contracts by purposely adding small mistakes to check if the test cases catch them. Remix-IDE is a popular program used by many people to write and test Ethereum smart contracts. MuSe includes general and specific mutation types aimed at making smart contracts more secure and reliable. This integration means users can easily use mutation testing without extra setup, helping them find bugs or weak spots in their contract tests.
mutation testingsmart contractsRemix-IDESoliditytest suitesblockchain securityEthereummutation operatorssoftware testing
Authors
Gerardo Iuliano, Daniele Carangelo, Carmine Calabrese, Dario Di Nucci
Abstract
Mutation testing is a technique to assess the effectiveness of test suites by introducing artificial faults into programs. Although mutation testing plugins are available for many platforms and languages, none is currently available for Remix-IDE, the most widely used Integrated Development Environment for the entire contract development journey, used by users of all knowledge levels, and serves as a learning lab for teaching and experimenting with Ethereum. The quality and security of smart contracts are crucial in blockchain systems, as even minor issues can result in substantial financial losses. This paper proposes MuSe, a mutation testing plugin for the Remix-IDE. MuSe includes traditional, Solidity-specific, and security-oriented mutation operators. Its integration into the Remix-IDE eliminates the need for additional setup and lowers the entry barrier. As a result, developers and researchers can immediately leverage mutation testing to assess the effectiveness of their test suites and identify potential issues in smart contracts. We provide a demo video showing MuSe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIFk9exTDu0 and its repository: https://github.com/GerardoIuliano/MuSe-Remix-Plugin.