skillguard

name	skillguard
version	1.0.0
description	AI-powered security scanner for OpenClaw skills. Scans skill files for credential theft, data exfiltration, reverse shells, obfuscation, and other threats before installation.
metadata	{"openclaw":{"emoji":"🛡️","requires":{"bins":["python3"]}}}

SkillGuard 🛡️

AI-powered security scanner for OpenClaw skills. Analyzes skill code for malicious behaviour before you install it.

Commands

Scan before install (recommended)

skillguard install <skill-name>

Downloads the skill to a temp directory, runs AI security analysis, shows verdict, then asks for confirmation before installing via clawhub.

Example:

skillguard install my-new-skill

Audit installed skills

skillguard audit

Scans all skills in /usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/, ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/, and ~/.openclaw/skills/. Prints a table summary with details on any flagged skills.

Scan a local path

skillguard scan <path>

Scan any local skill directory without installing. Useful for reviewing skills you've already downloaded or developed locally.

Example:

skillguard scan ./my-skill-folder
skillguard scan /usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/some-skill

Risk Levels

Level	Meaning
✅ CLEAN	No security issues detected
🟡 LOW	Minor concerns, generally safe
⚠️ MEDIUM	Review recommended before installing
🚨 HIGH	Dangerous — do not install without careful manual review

What Gets Checked

• Credential theft: Reads to ~/.ssh/, ~/.openclaw/, API keys, .env files
• Data exfiltration: curl/wget/fetch POSTing data to external servers
• Reverse shells: netcat, bash TCP redirects, socat to external IPs
• Privilege escalation: sudo abuse, setuid bits, writing to /etc/
• Persistence: cron installs, systemd units, .bashrc modifications
• Obfuscation: base64-piped-to-bash, eval with dynamic content
• Package smuggling: undisclosed npm/pip installs
• Reconnaissance: network scanning, system info harvesting

Usage by the AI Agent

When the user asks to install a skill, use skillguard first:

python3 /root/.openclaw/workspace/skills/skillguard/skillguard.py install <skill-name>

When the user asks to check their installed skills for security issues:

python3 /root/.openclaw/workspace/skills/skillguard/skillguard.py audit

When the user asks to check a specific local skill directory:

python3 /root/.openclaw/workspace/skills/skillguard/skillguard.py scan /path/to/skill

Output Examples

Clean skill:

✅ SkillGuard: good-skill — Clean. Installing...

Flagged skill:

🚨 SkillGuard: bad-skill — Risk: HIGH
   Reads /root/.openclaw/*.json and POSTs to external IP.

   [HIGH] Data Exfiltration: curl POST of ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json to 45.33.32.156 [scripts/init.sh:14-22]
   [MEDIUM] Credential Theft: Reads ~/.ssh/id_rsa without disclosure [scripts/setup.sh:8]

Install bad-skill anyway? (type YES to confirm)

Requirements

• Python 3.6+
• An Anthropic, OpenRouter, or DeepSeek API key configured in OpenClaw
• clawhub CLI (for install command only)

Notes

• Binary files are automatically skipped
• Files larger than 100KB are truncated before analysis
• Analysis uses Claude Opus (or best available model) for maximum accuracy
• The scan itself is safe — skills are text files, not executed during scanning