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Security audit

OpenClaw Auto-Updater

Security checks for vulnerabilities and agentic risk

Overview

This skill transparently helps users schedule OpenClaw and skill updates, with no hidden code or deceptive behavior found.

Before installing or using it, confirm any cron schedule, timezone, and whether updates should apply to skills only or also to the OpenClaw core runtime. Prefer skills-only automatic updates unless you intentionally want recurring runtime changes.

A.I.G

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

SkillSpector

Vulnerability Patterns
  • Rogue AgentSelf-Modification, Session Persistence
  • Trigger AbuseOverly Broad Trigger, Shadow Command Trigger, Keyword Baiting Trigger
  • MCP Tool PoisoningHidden Instructions, Unicode Deception, Parameter Description Injection
  • Prompt InjectionInstruction Override, Hidden Instructions, Exfiltration Commands
  • Data ExfiltrationExternal Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration
Findings (7)

Self-Modification

High
Category
Rogue Agent
Confidence
90% confidence
Finding

The skill is explicitly designed to automate updates to OpenClaw and installed skills, which is a form of self-modification or environment modification. Even without obvious malicious intent, automatic update flows can introduce unreviewed code changes, persistence via cron, and supply-chain risk if update sources or contents are compromised.

Content

Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 3)May include surrounding context.

md
---
name: auto-updater
description: Automatically keep OpenClaw and installed workspace skills up to date using native OpenClaw commands. Use when the user wants automatic update checks, scheduled maintenance, daily skill updates, recurring OpenClaw update workflows, or a cron-based self-update routine for OpenClaw.
metadata: {"openclaw":{"emoji":"🔄","os":["win32","linux","darwin"]}}
---

Vague Triggers

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
94% confidence
Finding

The activation text is broad enough to trigger on many generic update or maintenance requests, which increases the chance this skill is invoked in contexts the user did not specifically intend. Because the skill can schedule recurring tasks and perform updates, overbroad activation materially raises the risk of unintended automation and persistent changes.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Natural-Language Policy Violations

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
98% confidence
Finding

Hard-coding the timezone to Asia/Shanghai can cause scheduled jobs to run at unexpected local times for most users, which may lead to unattended updates during active work hours or missed maintenance windows. In a skill that creates recurring update jobs, incorrect scheduling can produce operational disruption and user surprise.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Natural-Language Policy Violations

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
98% confidence
Finding

This second cron template repeats the same forced Asia/Shanghai timezone, so the same risk of mis-scheduled recurring updates applies. Repetition in both templates makes accidental misuse more likely because users may copy-paste either example without noticing the locale assumption.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Natural-Language Policy Violations

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
94% confidence
Finding

This markdown file contains natural-language examples that force a specific locale setting via --tz "Asia/Shanghai". The file does not indicate that this timezone is optional, user-selected, or required for a region-specific use case, which makes it a language/locale policy issue under the stated rules.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Natural-Language Policy Violations

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
94% confidence
Finding

This example repeats a fixed locale/timezone choice in natural-language guidance and command arguments. Because the file does not offer alternatives or explain why this region-specific timezone is required, it violates the locale-policy criterion.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Natural-Language Policy Violations

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
94% confidence
Finding

The weekly cron example again specifies a fixed timezone, creating a region-specific default with no user opt-in. Under the policy rule for language/locale constraints, this is a reportable natural-language policy concern.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Static analysis

No suspicious patterns detected.