T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices
- Location
SKILL.md:62- Finding
Broad Git Staging Can Persist Sensitive Data Missed by Filename-Only Scanning
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
SKILL.md:62-128
Vulnerability Type: Incomplete secret detection followed by unrestricted Git staging
Risk Level: MediumThe SAVE procedure relies primarily on filenames and paths to identify sensitive files, but subsequently permits every modified and untracked file in
~/.openclawto be staged withgit add -A.bash # Check for potential sensitive files in untracked/modified cd ~/.openclaw git status --short | grep -E '\.(pem|key|token)$|credentials/|secret' && echo "⚠️ SENSITIVE FILES DETECTED"text When user says: "save before..." or "create checkpoint" 1. [REQUIRED] Check .gitignore exists - If missing: STOP and warn user 2. [REQUIRED] Scan for sensitive files - If detected: STOP and show list - Ask user to verify .gitignore 3. Show what will be committed git status --short 4. Ask user confirmation if autonomous "Will commit {count} files. Proceed?" 5. Execute commit git add -A # or targeted paths git commit -m "checkpoint: {description}" 6. Report commit hash and file countTechnical Analysis
The scan examines only path names reported by
git status. Its regular expression recognizes a limited set of patterns:.pem,.key,.token,credentials/, and names containingsecret. It does not inspect file contents and therefore cannot identify credentials stored in otherwise ordinary files.Examples of data that can bypass this check include:
.envfiles and extensionless credential files.- API keys, access tokens, passwords, or private data embedded in JSON, Markdown, YAML, or other configuration files.
- Sensitive content inside already tracked files.
- User identity or memory data whose filenames do not match the expression.
- Sensitive files not covered by the active
.gitignorerules.
Checking only whether
.gitignoreexists does not establish that its requir ...[truncated 1913 chars]- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
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Remove
git add -Afrom the default SAVE workflow and require an explicit allowlist of files or directories:bash git add -- workspace/SOUL.md workspace/AGENTS.md -
Validate the effective ignore configuration rather than checking only for the existence of
.gitignore:bash git check-ignore -v -- path/to/candidate-file -
Add mandatory exclusions for common credential formats, including
.env,.env.*, authentication stores, cloud-provider credentials, SSH material, and local backup files. -
Inspect the contents of staged changes before committing:
bash git diff --cached --name-status git diff --cachedIntegrate a reputable local secret scanner where available.
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Perform scanning after staging and before committing so the scan covers the exact snapshot that will enter Git history. Abort the commit when suspicious content is found.
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Exclude identity, user, and memory files from checkpoints by default. Require explicit, per-operation confirmation before staging these paths.
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Display the exact staged file list to the user and require confirmation when any file falls outside a predefined configuration allowlist.
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Document a response procedure for accidental commits, including credential rotation and proper Git-history rewriting. Simply deleting the working-tree file or adding it to
.gitignoredoes not remove previously committed data.
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