Openclaw Security Scanner

OpenClaw Security Scanner

Role: Security Expert for OpenClaw Deployments

Purpose: Audit OpenClaw configuration files for security vulnerabilities and provide safe, actionable remediation guidance. Pure static analysis — reads local config files only, no network probing, no subprocess execution.

Installation

Via ClawHub (Recommended)

# Install from ClawHub registry
clawhub install openclaw-security-scanner

# Or install from local workspace
clawhub install skills/openclaw-security-scanner

# Verify installation
clawhub list | grep security-scanner

Manual Installation

# Clone or copy to skills directory
cp -r openclaw-security-scanner ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/

# Validate installation
python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/skill-creator/scripts/quick_validate.py openclaw-security-scanner

Requirements

• OpenClaw >= 2026.3.0
• Python 3.8+
• No external tools required — all analysis is based on local config files

Quick Start

After installation, run a security scan:

# Full security audit (recommended)
openclaw security-scan

# Or use the Python script directly
python3 skills/openclaw-security-scanner/scripts/security_scan.py

# Generate report to file
openclaw security-scan --output security_report.md

When to Use

Trigger this skill when:

• User requests security audit: "scan my OpenClaw for security issues"
• After initial setup to verify security posture
• Before exposing OpenClaw to production/multi-user environments
• After major configuration changes
• Periodic security health checks (recommended: weekly)
• User reports suspicious activity

Commands

The skill provides these commands via openclaw CLI:

Features

1. Network Configuration Analysis

Analyzes gateway config for:

• Bind address settings (0.0.0.0 vs 127.0.0.1)
• Default/predictable port usage
• TLS/SSL configuration
• Missing bind address declarations

Example Output:

🔴 CRITICAL: Gateway configured to bind to all interfaces (0.0.0.0:18789)
   Impact: Attackers on the network can access gateway API
   Fix: Set bind address to 127.0.0.1 or use firewall rules
   Risk: MEDIUM - may break remote access if not careful

2. Channel Policy Audit

Checks:

• Telegram groupPolicy (allow vs allowlist)
• WhatsApp webhook secrets
• Web channel authentication
• Group chat allowlists
• Unknown user policies

Example Output:

🔴 CRITICAL: Telegram allows all group messages
   Current: groupPolicy="allow"
   Impact: Anyone can send messages, potential for abuse
   Fix: Set groupPolicy="allowlist" and configure allowedGroups
   Risk: LOW - won't break 1:1 chats

3. Permission Analysis

Evaluates:

• Tool execution policy (allow vs deny vs allowlist)
• Filesystem access scope (workspaceOnly)
• Dangerous tools enabled (exec, shell, system.run)
• Context-aware permission configuration

Example Output:

🔴 CRITICAL: Tool execution policy is 'allow'
   Impact: Any tool can run arbitrary commands
   Fix: Set tools.exec.policy="deny" or "allowlist"
   Risk: HIGH - may break existing workflows

4. Safe Remediation

Every finding includes:

• Risk Assessment: CRITICAL/HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW
• Impact Description: What could go wrong
• Remediation Steps: How to fix
• Risk of Fix: LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH (will this break things?)
• Rollback Plan: How to undo if something goes wrong

Risk Scoring

Safe Remediation Protocol

All remediation steps in this skill are configuration-file edits only. The skill never executes system commands; any steps requiring service restarts or shell access are documented as [OPERATOR] actions for the human administrator.

⚠️ CRITICAL RULE: Never apply config changes that may break remote access without:

1. ✅ Verified backup access (SSH, console, secondary channel)
2. ✅ Config backup with tested restore procedure
3. ✅ Maintenance window scheduled
4. ✅ Rollback plan ready

High-Risk Changes Require Staged Rollout

Phase 1: Preparation
├─ Copy config.json as backup
├─ Document current state
├─ [OPERATOR] Verify alternative access (SSH, console)
└─ Schedule maintenance window

Phase 2: Staging
├─ Apply config change to test environment
├─ Verify functionality
├─ Test rollback procedure
└─ Get approval

Phase 3: Production
├─ Apply config change during maintenance window
├─ [OPERATOR] Restart gateway and monitor (24-48 hours)
├─ Keep rollback ready
└─ Document changes

Phase 4: Verification
├─ Re-run scanner to verify improvement
├─ [OPERATOR] Test all critical functions
├─ [OPERATOR] Monitor for issues
└─ Update documentation

Output Format

Reports are generated in Markdown format:

# OpenClaw Security Audit Report

**Scan Date**: 2026-03-08 16:30
**Hostname**: mybot.local
**Overall Risk Level**: HIGH

## Executive Summary
- 🔴 CRITICAL: 2
- 🟠 HIGH: 3
- 🟡 MEDIUM: 5
- 🔵 LOW: 2

## Findings
[Detailed findings with remediation steps]

## Remediation Plan
### Immediate Actions (< 24h)
- [ ] Fix 1 (Risk: LOW)
- [ ] Fix 2 (Risk: MEDIUM)

### Staged Rollout Required
- [ ] Fix 3 (Risk: HIGH - may break remote access)

Examples

Basic Security Scan

User: "Scan my OpenClaw for security issues"

Assistant runs:

openclaw security-scan --output security_report.md

Output:

✅ Network config analysis: 2 issues found
✅ Channel audit: 1 unsafe policy found  
✅ Permission analysis: 3 excessive permissions

Risk Level: HIGH
Report saved to: security_report.md

Targeted Channel Audit

User: "Check if my Telegram configuration is safe"

Assistant runs:

openclaw security-scan --channels --output telegram_audit.md

Weekly Security Check

Add to HEARTBEAT.md:

## Weekly Security Scan

Every Sunday at 02:00:
- Run: `openclaw security-scan -o weekly_security.md`
- Review CRITICAL/HIGH findings
- Apply low-risk fixes
- Report summary to admin channel

Integration

Heartbeat Integration

# ~/.openclaw/workspace/HEARTBEAT.md
weekly_security_scan:
  schedule: "0 2 * * 0"  # Sunday 2 AM
  command: "openclaw security-scan -o docs/reports/weekly_security.md"
  review: "Within 24 hours"

Alert Triggers

Configure alerts for:

• New CRITICAL findings
• Configuration drift from secure baseline
• Failed authentication attempts > 10/hour
• Unusual tool execution patterns

Scripts

All scripts are located in skills/openclaw-security-scanner/scripts/:

Script Options

# security_scan.py
--ports-only        Only analyze network configuration
--channels-only     Only audit channel policies
--permissions-only  Only analyze permissions
--output, -o FILE   Save report to file
--verbose, -v       Verbose output
--full              Full scan (default)

References

Detailed guides in skills/openclaw-security-scanner/references/:

• permission-management.md - Context-aware permission configuration

  • Permission levels (Restricted/Standard/Elevated/Emergency)
  • User-based, channel-based, time-based contexts
  • Lifecycle management and approval workflows
  • Quick switch commands and profiles

• remediation-playbook.md - Safe fix procedures

  • Golden rules for safe remediation
  • Step-by-step fixes for common issues
  • Rollback procedures for every fix
  • Emergency recovery procedures
  • Post-mortem templates

Troubleshooting

Config Not Found

[WARN] No config file found

Solution: Ensure OpenClaw config exists at one of:

• ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (primary)
• ~/.openclaw/config.json
• ~/.openclaw/gateway.config.json
• /etc/openclaw/openclaw.json
• Or set the OPENCLAW_CONFIG environment variable to a custom path

Permission Denied

Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied

Solution: Run with appropriate permissions or check file ownership.

Safety Warnings

This skill only reads configuration files and writes a report. It does not modify configs, restart services, or execute system commands.

Remediation steps in the report and reference docs are [OPERATOR] actions — the human administrator applies them:

1. Always back up config.json before editing
2. Verify alternative access (SSH, console) before high-risk changes
3. Test changes in staging first
4. Keep rollback plan ready

Limitations

• Config-only analysis — does not actively probe network ports or running processes
• Cannot scan network topology beyond host
• Cannot test physical security
• Cannot assess social engineering risks

Support

For security emergencies:

1. Run full scan immediately
2. Apply CRITICAL fixes with rollback ready
3. Report findings to security team
4. Schedule follow-up audit in 7 days

Contributing

To contribute improvements:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create feature branch
3. Add tests for new checks
4. Submit pull request

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

Skill Version: 1.0.4 Last Updated: 2026-03-12
Maintainer: Security Team
Contact: security@openclaw.ai