Skill flagged — suspicious patterns detected

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Multi-Engine Web Search

v1.0.0

Unified multi-engine web search. Use when the user wants to search the web, find information, look up sources, or perform research. Supports Tavily API (fast...

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MIT-0
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LicenseMIT-0 · Free to use, modify, and redistribute. No attribution required.
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Suspicious
high confidence
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Purpose & Capability
The skill's claimed purpose (multi-engine web search) matches the code and SKILL.md: it uses Tavily API and browser-based search via agent-browser. However the registry metadata lists no required environment variables or config paths while both SKILL.md and the code require/expect TAVILY_API_KEY and read ~/.openclaw/.env — this mismatch is incoherent and should be corrected.
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Instruction Scope
The runtime instructions and script direct the agent to read TAVILY_API_KEY from the environment or ~/.openclaw/.env, call out to an external Tavily helper script (../../openclaw-tavily-search/scripts/tavily_search.py) if present, make direct HTTPS calls to api.tavily.com, and run agent-browser subprocesses (open, snapshot, close). Those actions are within the stated purpose but include file reads and arbitrary subprocess execution that were not declared in registry metadata and could execute code outside the skill's bundle.
Install Mechanism
There is no install spec (instruction-only), which is lower risk. The skill does call external tools at runtime (agent-browser, python scripts). The SKILL.md advises installing agent-browser and pip packages but the package itself will attempt to execute those binaries during use; lack of bundled dependencies means runtime failures or unpredictable behavior if those external programs are untrusted or compromised.
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Credentials
The code and SKILL.md require a TAVILY_API_KEY (env or ~/.openclaw/.env) but the registry metadata declares no required env vars — this omission is disproportionate and misleading. The skill only needs that one API key for Tavily, which is reasonable for its purpose, but the fact it will read a hidden config file in the user's home directory increases sensitivity and should be declared.
Persistence & Privilege
The skill does not request 'always: true' and does not attempt to persist or modify global agent configuration. It runs subprocesses at runtime but doesn't request elevated or persistent privileges in the registry manifest.
What to consider before installing
This skill appears to implement a sensible multi-engine search, but there are a few red flags you should consider before installing or using it: - The registry metadata does not declare the TAVILY_API_KEY or the ~/.openclaw/.env config file, yet both the SKILL.md and the script read that key — verify the skill owner updates the manifest. Do not assume required credentials are harmless because they are not declared. - The script will execute external programs at runtime: agent-browser (npm tool) and an external tavily_search.py at ../../openclaw-tavily-search/scripts/tavily_search.py if present. That means code outside this skill could be invoked. Before use, inspect any referenced helper scripts (openclaw-tavily-search) and ensure agent-browser is from a trusted source. - The skill may send your TAVILY_API_KEY to https://api.tavily.com during direct API calls. Only provide that key if you trust Tavily and are comfortable placing the key in your environment or ~/.openclaw/.env. Avoid storing highly sensitive credentials in that file unless you control its security. - Runtime network access and subprocess execution are necessary for browser-based scraping; if you need a stricter security posture, run this in an isolated environment or require the agent to prompt before invoking subprocesses. What would change this assessment: if the registry manifest were corrected to declare TAVILY_API_KEY and the config path, and if the package included or documented the exact external helper scripts (so you can review them), the inconsistencies would be resolved and this could be considered benign. If you cannot review the referenced external scripts or you are not willing to provide an API key, treat the skill with caution or avoid installing it.

Like a lobster shell, security has layers — review code before you run it.

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License

MIT-0
Free to use, modify, and redistribute. No attribution required.

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