ROS2 Execution

Execute ROS 2 commands (run, launch, call) in a sandboxed, allowlisted environment. Supports parameter profiles.

Security Scan

The skill's code and runtime instructions are consistent with its stated purpose (sandboxed execution of ROS 2 commands) and do not request unrelated credentials or network access, though there are small metadata mismatches and expected operational risks you should understand before use.

Purpose & Capability

The skill's name/description match the provided scripts and SKILL.md: the wrapper enforces an allowlist and workspace checks before invoking ros2. However the registry metadata claims no required binaries/config paths while the SKILL.md and scripts clearly require a sourced ROS 2 environment (ros2 on PATH, AMENT_PREFIX_PATH) and write/read config files under the skill directory and ~/.openclaw/workspace. This is a minor metadata inconsistency, not a functional mismatch.

Instruction Scope

Instructions and the safe_ros2_execution.py wrapper stay within the declared purpose: they read config/config.json and config/packages.json, verify package prefixes, optionally read YAML profiles from ~/.openclaw/workspace/ros_profiles, and execute ros2 commands without shell=True. A noteworthy operational risk: the wrapper sources the ROS setup.bash via a bash -c 'source ... && env' call to build the environment — sourcing a setup.bash will execute whatever is in that file (typical for ROS but a potential vector if a workspace's setup.bash is malicious). This behavior is expected for a tool that must load ROS environments.

Install Mechanism

No remote install/downloads or package installs are specified; the skill is delivered as local scripts and an SKILL.md. No high-risk installer URLs or archive extraction are present.

Credentials

The skill requests no secrets or external credentials and only needs access to ROS environment variables, skill-local config/, and optional user profile YAMLs in ~/.openclaw/workspace. That is proportionate to its purpose. Again, the registry metadata not listing required config paths/binaries is inconsistent with the scripts' runtime requirements.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill does not request 'always: true' or modify other skills; it writes a config.json under its own directory via setup.sh and reads its own config and packages.json. Model/autonomous invocation is enabled by default (disable-model-invocation: false) which is normal for user-invocable skills.

Assessment

This skill appears to do what it says: it enforces an allowlist and runs ros2 commands via a safe wrapper. Before installing, review and do the following: (1) inspect and maintain config/packages.json to ensure only trusted packages are allowlisted; (2) be aware that the wrapper sources your ROS setup.bash to capture environment variables — if a workspace's setup.bash contains unexpected code it will run when sourced, so only use workspaces you trust; (3) profiles live under ~/.openclaw/workspace/ros_profiles — keep sensitive data out of those files; (4) the registry metadata omits required binaries/config paths (ros2, AMENT_PREFIX_PATH, config/), so expect to manually ensure your ROS environment is correctly sourced and that ros2 is available; (5) if you want to limit autonomous runs, consider disabling model invocation for this skill. If you need higher assurance, manually run the provided scripts in a controlled environment and audit any setup.bash files in your workspaces before enabling the skill.

ROS 2 Execution (Sandboxed)

Setup & Installation

Before this skill can be used, the local environment must be configured. The setup script dynamically discovers your ROS paths and approved workspaces. You can re-run the setup script at any time if you add new workspaces.

1. Source your environment: You MUST source your ROS 2 environment and any local workspaces first in your terminal.

   source /opt/ros/<distro>/setup.bash
   source ~/my_ros_ws/install/setup.bash
   

2. Run setup:

   ./scripts/setup.sh
   

3. Whitelist Packages: Edit config/packages.json to explicitly allow the packages you want the agent to execute.
4. Parameter Profiles (Optional): Create YAML parameter files in ~/.openclaw/workspace/ros_profiles/ for quick execution using the --profile flag.

Overview

Use this skill to execute ROS 2 commands.

SECURITY CONSTRAINT: You must ALWAYS use the safe wrapper script located at ./scripts/safe_ros2_execution.py. This script performs strict security checks using Python's subprocess (no raw shell execution, preventing injection) and validates:

1. The command type (must be run/launch/call).
2. The package is in an approved workspace.
3. The package is explicitly allowlisted.

Wrapper Path: Resolve ./scripts/safe_ros2_execution.py against this SKILL.md directory.

Allowed Commands

Usage: ./scripts/safe_ros2_execution.py <command> <package> <target> [--profile <name> | --params-file <path>] [extra_args]

• Run a node: ./scripts/safe_ros2_execution.py run <pkg> <node>
• Run a node with a Parameter Profile: ./scripts/safe_ros2_execution.py run <pkg> <node> --profile outdoor (Loads from ~/.openclaw/workspace/ros_profiles/outdoor.yaml)
• Run a node with a specific Params File: ./scripts/safe_ros2_execution.py run <pkg> <node> --params-file /tmp/temp_params.yaml
• Launch a file: ./scripts/safe_ros2_execution.py launch <pkg> <launch_file>
• Call a service: ./scripts/safe_ros2_execution.py service_call <pkg> <srv_name> <srv_type> <args>
• Send an action goal: ./scripts/safe_ros2_execution.py action_send_goal <pkg> <action_name> <action_type> <args>

Handling Parameters (--ros-args)

Avoid passing complex strings (like nested arrays or JSON dictionaries) directly in the command arguments. Instead:

1. Write the parameters to a temporary YAML file.
2. Use the --params-file /path/to/file.yaml flag to safely load them.
3. For recurring setups, save the YAML file to ~/.openclaw/workspace/ros_profiles/<name>.yaml and use --profile <name>.