OpenClaw Backup

AdvisoryAudited by Static analysis on Apr 30, 2026.

Overview

No suspicious patterns detected.

Findings (0)

Artifact-based informational review of SKILL.md, metadata, install specs, static scan signals, and capability signals. ClawScan does not execute the skill or run runtime probes.

What this means

Anyone who can read the backup archive may gain access to sensitive OpenClaw-connected services or sessions.

Why it was flagged

The skill explicitly backs up API keys, auth profiles, and session data. That is expected for a full OpenClaw backup, but these files can grant account access if the archive is exposed.

Skill content
- `credentials/` — API keys, tokens
- `agents/` — agent configs, auth profiles
- `telegram/` — session data
Recommendation

Store backups only in trusted locations, consider encrypting them, and avoid syncing them to untrusted cloud or shared folders.

What this means

Backups may contain private notes, saved memory, agent instructions, and user files that could influence future agent behavior after restore.

Why it was flagged

The backup includes persistent agent memory, instruction-like files, and user files from the workspace. This is purpose-aligned but sensitive because it preserves private context for later reuse or restore.

Skill content
- `workspace/` — memory, SOUL.md, user files
Recommendation

Review what is in ~/.openclaw/workspace before backing up or restoring, and protect backup archives like other private data.

What this means

A mistaken restore or rollback could delete or replace the user's current OpenClaw configuration, credentials, workspace, and scheduled tasks.

Why it was flagged

The restore rollback instructions include destructive local filesystem commands. They are normal for restore workflows, but running them against the wrong path or backup could remove the current OpenClaw state.

Skill content
rm -rf ~/.openclaw
mv ~/.openclaw-old ~/.openclaw
Recommendation

Run restore commands manually and carefully, verify the backup file first, and keep a separate copy of the current ~/.openclaw directory until the restore is confirmed.

NoteHigh Confidence
ASI10: Rogue Agents
What this means

If configured, the agent may keep creating backups automatically, including sensitive data, until the cron entry is removed or changed.

Why it was flagged

The skill provides an optional persistent daily cron schedule that will continue running after setup. The scheduled script path also differs from the documented ./scripts/backup.sh command, so users should verify what file will run.

Skill content
"schedule": {"kind": "cron", "expr": "0 3 * * *", "tz": "UTC"} ... "message": "Run ~/.openclaw/backup.sh and report result to user."
Recommendation

Create the schedule only if recurring backups are desired, point it to the reviewed backup script, and remove or update the cron job when no longer needed.