Is OpenClaw Safe? Complete Security Analysis
Quick Answer: OpenClaw is safe when configured correctly. It runs locally on your hardware, keeping data off third-party servers. However, the ecosystem has real risks: 824 malicious skills were found in ClawHub (approximately 7.7% of 10,700+ total skills), 135,000+ instances are exposed across 82 countries, and two critical CVEs were disclosed in early 2026. The Cisco AI security team independently confirmed data exfiltration via malicious skills. Note that ClawHub affects both self-hosted OpenClaw and Kimi Claw users. In response, VirusTotal scanning has been added to the skill review pipeline, and a skill reporting feature (contributed by Peter Steinberger) now lets the community flag suspicious skills. The software itself is sound — the danger is in misconfiguration and unvetted marketplace skills.
This guide covers every known risk, the specific CVEs, ClawHub marketplace dangers, and exactly how to set up OpenClaw safely. Our free setup guide teaches verified-only configurations so you avoid every pitfall listed below.
What Are the Security Risks of OpenClaw by the Numbers?
824
Malicious Skills Found
Security researchers identified 824 malicious skills in the ClawHub marketplace (10,700+ total skills) — approximately 7.7% of all skills. These include credential stealers, crypto miners, and backdoors.
135K+
Exposed Instances
Over 135,000 OpenClaw instances found exposed across 82 countries with no authentication. Default configs leave the door wide open.
2
Critical CVEs in 2026
CVE-2026-25157 (SSH credential injection) and CVE-2026-24763 (Docker sandbox escape) both patched — but only if you update.
Why Is the ClawHub Marketplace the Biggest Risk?
ClawHub is OpenClaw's community skill marketplace with 10,700+ skills. Security researchers found 824 were malicious (approximately 7.7%). These risks affect both self-hosted OpenClaw and Kimi Claw users. In response, VirusTotal scanning was added to the review pipeline, and a skill reporting feature (contributed by Peter Steinberger) lets users flag suspicious skills. Here is what researchers found.
Credential Stealers
Malicious skills that silently capture and exfiltrate your API keys, login credentials, and environment variables to attacker-controlled servers.
Crypto Miners
Skills that hijack your CPU to mine cryptocurrency in the background. They drain resources, spike your electricity bill, and slow down legitimate automations.
Remote Access Trojans
Skills that establish persistent backdoor connections, giving attackers full control over your OpenClaw instance and potentially your entire machine.
Data Exfiltration
Skills that appear legitimate but quietly copy conversation data, automation configs, and connected service credentials to external endpoints. The Cisco AI security team independently confirmed this exfiltration vector.
What Are the Known CVEs and Patches for OpenClaw?
CVE-2026-25157: SSH Credential Injection via Skill Descriptions
Critical (CVSS 9.1)
Malicious skill descriptions could inject SSH credentials into the OpenClaw agent's environment. When the agent executed system-level tasks, it would use attacker-controlled SSH keys, allowing remote command execution on connected servers.
Mitigation: Updated in OpenClaw v0.48.2+. Skill description inputs are now sanitized and sandboxed. Never run versions below 0.48.2 in production.
CVE-2026-24763: Docker Container Sandbox Escape
High (CVSS 8.4)
A flaw in OpenClaw's Docker integration allowed malicious skills to escape the container sandbox and access the host filesystem. This could lead to full host compromise if the container ran with elevated privileges.
Mitigation: Patched in OpenClaw v0.49.0+. Always run containers with --security-opt=no-new-privileges, drop unnecessary capabilities, and use a non-root user inside the container.
How Does Our Setup Guide Keep You Safe?
Our free OpenClaw setup guide teaches a security-first setup. Every configuration is verified, every skill is vetted, and every deployment follows hardened best practices.
Verified Skills Only
We provide a curated list of vetted ClawHub skills that have been code-reviewed and tested. No credential stealers, no crypto miners, no backdoors. You install only what we have verified.
Network Hardening
Step-by-step firewall configuration, network segmentation, and VPN setup. Your OpenClaw instance will never be one of the 135,000+ exposed on the internet.
Docker Isolation
Proper Docker deployment with security flags, non-root users, dropped capabilities, and read-only filesystems. Mitigates CVE-2026-24763 and limits blast radius of any compromise.
API Key Vault Setup
Environment variable configuration with encrypted storage. Keys are never exposed in prompts, skill configs, or logs. Rotation schedule included.
OpenClaw Safety Checklist
Complete this checklist before running OpenClaw in any production capacity. Every item addresses a real attack vector.
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