vps-openclaw-security-hardening

Production-ready security hardening for VPS running OpenClaw AI agents. Includes SSH hardening (custom port), firewall, audit logging, credential management, and intelligent alerting. Follows BSI IT-Grundschutz and NIST guidelines with minimal resource overhead.

VPS Security Hardening for OpenClaw

Production-ready security hardening for AI agent deployments on VPS.

⚠️ CRITICAL WARNINGS

DO NOT run OpenClaw on servers/machines with sensitive personal data. Use a dedicated machine (VPS, bare-metal, or on-premise server dedicated to OpenClaw).

Before installing:

1. 开第二个终端保持登录 — SSH 端口变更/防火墙 DROP 可能导致连接断开
2. 确认已有密钥对 — 密码登录会被禁用，没有密钥将无法登录
3. 记下你选的 SSH 端口 — 选 1024-65535 之间的端口，不要用常见端口
4. 外部告警通知知情 — 安全事件可通过 Telegram/Discord/Slack/Webhook 发送到外部服务
5. 测试环境优先 — 生产环境使用前，先在 VM 或测试机验证

Supported OS: Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+. Not for Windows (use WSL2) or macOS.

⚠️ Choose Your SSH Port First

You must choose a custom SSH port (1024-65535) before installing. This makes you conscious of the security decision.

bash

# Choose your port (example: 4848)
export SSH_PORT=4848

# Install
cd ~/.openclaw/skills/vps-openclaw-security-hardening
sudo ./scripts/install.sh

# Verify
./scripts/verify.sh

# Test SSH (new terminal)
ssh -p ${SSH_PORT} root@your-vps-ip

What It Does

Layer	Protection	Implementation
Network	Firewall, SSH hardening	UFW, custom port (your choice), key-only
System	Auto-updates, monitoring	unattended-upgrades, auditd
Secrets	Credential management	Centralized .env, 600 permissions
Monitoring	Audit logging, alerting	Kernel-level audit, multi-channel alerts

Requirements

• OS: Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 11+ (Linux only)
• NOT supported: Windows (use WSL2), macOS
• Root access
• Existing SSH key authentication
• Alert channel (optional): Telegram, Discord, Slack, Email, or Webhook
• Custom SSH port of your choice (1024-65535)

Security Changes

SSH

• Port: 22 → ${SSH_PORT} (your choice, 1024-65535)
• Auth: Keys only (no passwords)
• Root login: Disabled
• Max retries: 3
• Fail2ban: Brute-force protection

Firewall

• Default: Deny incoming
• Allow: Your chosen SSH port only

Services

• CUPS (printing): Stopped & disabled
• Fail2ban: Intrusion detection enabled
• Auto-updates: Security patches automatic

Monitoring

• Credential file access tracking
• SSH config change detection
• Privilege escalation alerts
• Daily security briefing

Resource Usage

Component	RAM	Disk
Auditd	~2 MB	40 MB max
UFW	~1 MB	Negligible
Scripts	~5 MB	Negligible
Total	<10 MB	<50 MB

Files

• scripts/install.sh - Main installation
• scripts/verify.sh - Verify installation
• scripts/rollback-ssh.sh - Emergency rollback
• scripts/critical-alert.sh - Telegram alerts
• scripts/daily-briefing.sh - Daily reports
• rules/audit.rules - Audit configuration

Documentation

See README.md for full documentation.

License

MIT - See LICENSE file

⚖️ 权限声明

权限	范围	用途	说明
执行	sudo	SSH 加固、防火墙、auditd 安装	系统安全配置变更
文件系统	写入	/etc/ssh/sshd_config	SSH 端口/认证模式配置
文件系统	写入	/etc/audit/rules.d/	内核级审计规则
文件系统	写入	/etc/cron.d/	安装定期安全简报定时任务
文件系统	读取	/var/log/audit/audit.log	安全事件监控
网络	出站	用户配置的告警渠道	安全事件通知（Telegram/Discord/Slack/Webhook）
凭证	读取	.env 文件 (权限 600)	加载告警 Token

🔒 数据外传声明：安全事件信息仅在用户显式配置告警 Token 后发送到外部服务。不配置 Token 则不产生任何外传流量。