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Security audit

Skill Authoring

Security checks for vulnerabilities and agentic risk

Overview

This skill is a straightforward skill-authoring helper with some local filesystem guidance, and I did not find hidden execution, network access, credential handling, or destructive behavior.

Install this if you want an agent helper for creating and packaging OpenClaw skills. Be aware that skill creation writes persistent files under the OpenClaw workspace, and the bundled list_skills.py utility can read installed skills' SKILL.md metadata and print their names, descriptions, and paths if invoked.

Vulnerability Patterns
  • Skill Instruction HijackingAlters the agent's session goals or safety constraints when the skill loads
  • Agent Memory PoisoningWrites attacker-controlled rules into memory that affect later sessions
  • Remote Payload Retrieval and ExecutionFetches external code whose behavior can change after review
  • Embedded Malicious CodeShips malicious scripts inside the skill and executes them locally
  • Unauthorized Access and Privilege EscalationObtains permissions beyond the task's legitimate needs
Vulnerability Patterns
  • Prompt InjectionInstruction Override, Hidden Instructions, Exfiltration Commands
  • Trigger AbuseOverly Broad Trigger, Shadow Command Trigger, Keyword Baiting Trigger
  • MCP Least PrivilegeUnderdeclared Capability, Wildcard Permission, Missing Permission Declaration
  • MCP Tool PoisoningHidden Instructions, Unicode Deception, Parameter Description Injection
  • Data ExfiltrationExternal Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration
Findings (4)

Tp4

High
Category
MCP Tool Poisoning
Confidence
99% confidence
Finding

A mismatch between the declared purpose and the actual behavior is security-relevant because users may invoke the skill expecting authoring/package operations while it also performs discovery or metadata inspection of installed skills and filesystem locations. That expands the effective data access surface and can enable unintended enumeration of local environment details under a misleading description.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Undeclared Tool Scope

Medium
Category
MCP Least Privilege
Confidence
84% confidence
Finding

The skill instructs use of local Python scripts and references concrete filesystem paths, but it does not declare any explicit tool scope such as allowed tools or permissions. In a skill-authoring context, undeclared file-read capability weakens least-privilege boundaries and can cause the agent to access workspace or installed-skill files beyond what users would reasonably expect.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Vague Triggers

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
93% confidence
Finding

The trigger conditions are very broad, including generic phrases like creating, building, packaging, or auditing skills in multiple languages. Overbroad activation increases the chance the skill runs in contexts the user did not intend, which is especially risky for a skill that can initialize files, invoke scripts, and package artifacts.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Natural-Language Policy Violations

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
88% confidence
Finding

The template instruction says to "Include Chinese triggers too," which mandates a specific language requirement rather than offering language choice based on user preference. This is a natural-language policy issue because it forces locale/language behavior without opt-in or justification.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.