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Security audit

openclaw-update

Security checks across malware telemetry and agentic risk

Overview

This OpenClaw updater appears purpose-built rather than malicious, but it has enough authority to change the agent installation, copy credentials/workspace data, run remote installers, delete/restore state, restart services, and create scheduled background checks without strong safety boundaries.

Install only if you want this skill to manage OpenClaw maintenance, not just answer update questions. Require it to stop after assessment until you explicitly approve backup, install/update, restore, restart, or scheduled-check setup. Avoid curl-to-bash or moving-branch installs unless you independently trust and verify the source. Treat created backups as sensitive because they may contain credentials and workspace data, and enable the daily scheduled check only if you know how to audit and remove it.

SkillSpector

By NVIDIA
Vulnerability Patterns
  • Data ExfiltrationExternal Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration
  • Supply ChainUnpinned Dependencies, External Script Fetching, Obfuscated Code
  • Tool MisuseTool Parameter Abuse, Chaining Abuse, Unsafe Defaults
  • Rogue AgentSelf-Modification, Session Persistence
  • Trigger AbuseOverly Broad Trigger, Shadow Command Trigger, Keyword Baiting Trigger
Findings (21)

subprocess module call

Medium
Category
Dangerous Code Execution
Content
dst = backup_path / item
                if src.exists():
                    cmd = f'powershell.exe -Command "Copy-Item -Recurse \'{src}\' \'{dst}\'"'
                    subprocess.run(cmd, shell=True, capture_output=True)
        else:
            # macOS / Linux - 使用 rsync
            rsync_cmd = ['rsync', '-av', '--quiet']
Confidence
98% confidence
Finding
subprocess.run(cmd, shell=True, capture_output=True)

subprocess module call

Medium
Category
Dangerous Code Execution
Content
"""发送通知(使用系统通知)"""
    try:
        # macOS
        subprocess.run([
            "osascript",
            "-e", f'display notification "{message}" with title "{title}"'
        ], check=True)
Confidence
94% confidence
Finding
subprocess.run([ "osascript", "-e", f'display notification "{message}" with title "{title}"' ], check=True)

Lp3

Medium
Category
MCP Least Privilege
Confidence
93% confidence
Finding
The skill performs shell execution, file writes, backup creation, package installation, service restarts, and scheduled task setup, yet declares no explicit permissions or constraints. This creates an authorization gap where a caller may invoke high-impact actions without clear user consent boundaries or sandbox expectations.

Tp4

High
Category
MCP Tool Poisoning
Confidence
88% confidence
Finding
The description frames the skill as update assessment and execution, but the body also introduces persistence via cron, local notification behavior, report/log writing, and backup enumeration. This mismatch weakens informed consent because users may approve an update check without realizing the skill can install ongoing background tasks and create additional artifacts.

Missing User Warnings

Medium
Confidence
92% confidence
Finding
The README includes manual recovery commands that recursively delete the user's ~/.openclaw directory before restoring a backup, but it does not prominently warn that these commands are destructive and can cause irreversible loss if the backup name is wrong, missing, or incomplete. In a skill specifically designed to automate update and recovery operations, presenting destructive commands as routine recovery steps materially increases the chance of unsafe execution.

Vague Triggers

Medium
Confidence
76% confidence
Finding
The invocation guidance is broad enough to trigger on common requests about checking updates or upgrading OpenClaw, even though the skill contains destructive and persistent capabilities. Overbroad matching increases the chance the agent selects this skill in contexts where the user only wanted information, leading to unintended system modification.

Missing User Warnings

High
Confidence
95% confidence
Finding
The recovery instructions include destructive deletion of the user's OpenClaw directory using rm -rf / Remove-Item -Force before restore, but the text does not clearly warn about data loss, path verification, or validation of the chosen backup. A mistaken path, malformed timestamp, or wrong backup selection could irreversibly destroy user configuration or other files.

Missing User Warnings

Medium
Confidence
89% confidence
Finding
The skill instructs creation of cron or scheduled tasks that will continue running automatically, access network resources, and write reports/logs, but the warning about ongoing execution and artifact creation is minimal. Persistence changes user expectations and expands the attack surface if the script or its path is later modified.

Missing User Warnings

Medium
Confidence
90% confidence
Finding
The restore function copies backup contents into the live .openclaw directory without requiring explicit user confirmation, dry-run output, or conflict checks. In an update-and-recovery skill that handles credentials and workspace data, this can cause unintended data overwrite or rollback to stale state, potentially losing user changes or restoring compromised files.

Self-Modification

High
Category
Rogue Agent
Content
# OpenClaw Update Skill - ClawHub Release

## 📦 Skill Information
Confidence
84% confidence
Finding
Update Skill

Self-Modification

High
Category
Rogue Agent
Content
description: OpenClaw 版本升级评估与执行技能。工作流程:(1) 检测 agent-reach 可用性(无则引导安装),(2) 检查 GitHub releases 获取最新稳定版,(3) 对比当前版本判断是否需要更新,(4) 分析版本差距和更新日志,(5) 检查 GitHub issues 评估风险,(6) 综合评估打分并给出升级建议,(7) 备份用户配置(防止冲突),(8) 检测安装方式执行对应更新命令,(9) 自动重启 gateway,(10) 提供恢复功能。Use when 用户要求检查 OpenClaw 更新、评估是否升级、或执行版本更新。支持中英双语。
---

# OpenClaw Update Skill

## Multilingual Support / 多语言支持
Confidence
90% confidence
Finding
Update Skill

Session Persistence

Medium
Category
Rogue Agent
Content
**macOS / Linux:**
```bash
# Add to crontab
crontab -e

# Add this line (runs at 4:00 AM daily)
0 4 * * * /usr/bin/python3 ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/openclaw-update/scripts/cron_check.py >> ~/.openclaw/cron_check.log 2>&1
Confidence
97% confidence
Finding
crontab -e

Session Persistence

Medium
Category
Rogue Agent
Content
### Setup Cron Task / 设置 Cron 任务

**After installing this skill, offer to create a cron task for automatic daily checks:**

**Progress message:**
> 🤖 **Setting up automated daily update check...** / **正在设置自动每日更新检查...**
Confidence
95% confidence
Finding
create a cron task for

Session Persistence

Medium
Category
Rogue Agent
Content
**Progress message:**
> 🤖 **Setting up automated daily update check...** / **正在设置自动每日更新检查...**

**Create cron task that runs at 4:00 AM daily:**

```bash
# Method 1: Using OpenClaw cron (recommended)
Confidence
95% confidence
Finding
Create cron task that

Session Persistence

Medium
Category
Rogue Agent
Content
### Setup Cron Task / 设置 Cron 任务

**After installing this skill, offer to create a cron task for automatic daily checks:**

**Progress message:**
> 🤖 **Setting up automated daily update check...** / **正在设置自动每日更新检查...**
Confidence
95% confidence
Finding
create a cron task for automatic daily checks:** **Progress message:** > 🤖 **Setting up automated daily update check...** / **正在设置自动每日更新检查...** **Create cron task that runs at 4:00 AM daily:** ```b

External Script Fetching

High
Category
Supply Chain
Content
### Official Recommended (Re-run Installer)

```bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-onboard
```

---
Confidence
98% confidence
Finding
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

External Script Fetching

High
Category
Supply Chain
Content
**Official recommended method (re-run installer):**
```bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-onboard
```

---
Confidence
99% confidence
Finding
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

Tool Parameter Abuse

High
Category
Tool Misuse
Content
```bash
# macOS / Linux
rm -rf ~/.openclaw && cp -r ~/.openclaw.backup.TIMESTAMP ~/.openclaw

# Windows PowerShell
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw
Confidence
97% confidence
Finding
rm -rf ~/.openclaw && cp -r ~

Tool Parameter Abuse

High
Category
Tool Misuse
Content
```bash
# macOS / Linux
rm -rf ~/.openclaw && cp -r ~/.openclaw.backup.TIMESTAMP ~/.openclaw

# Windows PowerShell
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw
Confidence
97% confidence
Finding
rm -rf ~/.openclaw && cp -r ~/.openclaw.backup.TIMESTAMP ~/

Tool Parameter Abuse

High
Category
Tool Misuse
Content
```bash
# macOS / Linux
rm -rf ~/.openclaw && cp -r ~/.openclaw.backup.TIMESTAMP ~/.openclaw

# Windows PowerShell
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw
Confidence
98% confidence
Finding
rm -rf ~/.openclaw && cp -r ~

Tool Parameter Abuse

High
Category
Tool Misuse
Content
```bash
# macOS / Linux
rm -rf ~/.openclaw && cp -r ~/.openclaw.backup.TIMESTAMP ~/.openclaw

# Windows PowerShell
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw
Confidence
98% confidence
Finding
rm -rf ~/.openclaw && cp -r ~/.openclaw.backup.TIMESTAMP ~/

VirusTotal

65/65 vendors flagged this skill as clean.

View on VirusTotal

Static analysis

No suspicious patterns detected.