openclaw-backups/archive/inactive-skills/openclaw-remote/guides/hardening.md

OpenClaw Hardening Guide

Based on the AI SAFE2 framework. Focuses on proven, working security measures.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: OpenClaw Security Reality

OpenClaw already has strong security defaults built-in:

• Secure authentication required by default
• Strong account/workspace isolation
• CSRF protections for state-changing requests
• Secrets encrypted at rest
• Private-by-default networking (localhost binding)
• Secure OAuth flows (state/PKCE)

This guide helps you verify and enhance what's already there.

Prerequisites

• SSH access to server running OpenClaw (or local tmux session)
• Basic command line knowledge

Step 1: Verify Network Security (2 min)

# Check current binding
netstat -an | grep -E "8080|18789|8888" | grep LISTEN

# SECURE if you see:
# tcp4  0  0  127.0.0.1.18789  *.*  LISTEN
# tcp6  0  0  ::1.18789        *.*  LISTEN

# EXPOSED if you see:
# tcp4  0  0  0.0.0.0.18789    *.*  LISTEN  ← BAD!

# If exposed, restart bound to localhost only:
pkill -f "openclaw gateway"
openclaw gateway --bind 127.0.0.1 --port 18789

# Access via SSH tunnel from laptop:
ssh -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@server

Note: OpenClaw's default gateway.bind: "loopback" config already binds to localhost. Most installations are secure by default.

Step 2: Lock File Permissions (1 min)

chmod 700 ~/.openclaw
chmod 600 ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
chmod 600 ~/.openclaw/*.log 2>/dev/null || true
chmod 600 ~/.openclaw/.env 2>/dev/null || true
chmod 700 ~/.openclaw/credentials 2>/dev/null || true

Verify:

ls -la ~/.openclaw/ | head -5
# Should show: drwx------ for .openclaw
# Should show: -rw------- for openclaw.json

Step 3: Run Security Audit (2 min)

⚠️ SKIP manual config edits for tool restrictions. OpenClaw's config schema doesn't support the following fields:

• ❌ logging.redactSensitive
• ❌ logging.enabled
• ❌ agents.defaults.tools
• ❌ agents.defaults.sandbox

These fields will cause config validation errors. OpenClaw has built-in security controls that work differently.

Instead, run the built-in security tools:

# Validate config
openclaw doctor --fix

# Run deep security audit
openclaw security audit --deep

Target result: 0 critical · 0-3 warn · 1 info

Common warnings (non-critical):

• gateway.trusted_proxies_missing - OK if localhost-only
• channels.discord.dm.scope_main_multiuser - Optional session isolation
• fs.credentials_dir.perms_readable - Fixed by Step 2

Step 4: Rotate Secrets (3 min)

Use OpenClaw's built-in authentication commands (safe, no shell modification):

1. Generate new API keys from each provider console
2. Update via OpenClaw's secure method:

# Interactive authentication (recommended)
openclaw models auth paste-token

# Or use environment variables (set these in your terminal session)
export ZAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-..."

3. Delete old keys from provider console

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Do NOT modify shell startup files (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc) directly. Instead:

• Use OpenClaw's openclaw models auth command for permanent storage
• Or set environment variables in your current terminal session only

Verify auth status:

openclaw models status
# Check "Auth overview" section
# Look for OAuth expiration dates

Step 5: Git-Track Config for Rollback (2 min)

cd ~/.openclaw

# Initialize git if not already done
git init 2>/dev/null || true

# Create .gitignore
printf 'agents/*/sessions/\nagents/*/agent/*.jsonl\n*.log\n' > .gitignore

# Commit current config
git add .gitignore openclaw.json agents/*/agent/auth-profiles.json agents/*/agent/models.json
git commit -m "security: baseline hardened config"

# View commit history for rollback
git log --oneline

To rollback:

cd ~/.openclaw
git log --oneline  # Find commit hash
git checkout <commit-hash> -- openclaw.json
openclaw doctor --fix  # Validate after rollback

Step 6: Optional Backups

⚠️ MANUAL SETUP REQUIRED: This skill does NOT automatically set up cron jobs or modify system schedules for security reasons.

If you want automated backups, manually create a backup script and schedule it yourself:

1. Create backup script manually: ~/backup-openclaw.sh
2. Make it executable: chmod +x ~/backup-openclaw.sh
3. Manually add to crontab using crontab -e

Example backup script content (create this yourself):

#!/bin/bash
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d)
mkdir -p ~/backups
tar -czf ~/backups/openclaw-$DATE.tar.gz ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ~/.openclaw/agents/
find ~/backups/ -name "openclaw-*.tar.gz" -mtime +30 -delete

This skill will NOT create or schedule this for you. You must do this manually if desired.

Optional: Isolate Discord DM Sessions

If you have multiple users DMing your bot, add to openclaw.json:

{
  "session": {
    "dmScope": "per-channel-peer"
  }
}

This prevents context leakage between different DM senders.

Verification Checklist

After hardening, verify with:

# 1. Network security
netstat -an | grep 18789 | grep LISTEN
# Should show: 127.0.0.1 or ::1 (NOT 0.0.0.0)

# 2. File permissions
ls -la ~/.openclaw/ | head -5
# Should show: drwx------ for directory

# 3. Security audit
openclaw security audit --deep
# Target: 0 critical · 0-2 warn · 1 info

# 4. Config validity
openclaw doctor --fix
# Should complete without errors

# 5. Gateway health
openclaw health
# Should show: Discord: ok, Agents: main

Safety Rules

1. Human approval for external comms (email, social media, purchases)
2. Dedicated bot accounts — never use personal credentials
3. Separate machine — don't run OpenClaw on your personal laptop with sensitive files
4. Rotate keys every 90 days minimum, immediately after any suspected compromise

What OpenClaw Already Provides

You don't need to manually configure these - they're built-in:

✅ Secure authentication required by default
✅ Strong account/workspace isolation across all actions
✅ CSRF protections for state-changing requests
✅ Strict origin checks to block cross-site attacks
✅ WebSocket origin validation to prevent hijacking
✅ Rate limiting and abuse prevention on sensitive endpoints
✅ Secrets encrypted at rest
✅ Secrets transmitted securely and never logged
✅ Short-lived/rotating access credentials where applicable
✅ Private-by-default networking
✅ Tight allowlists for any browser-accessible control surfaces
✅ Secure OAuth flows (state/PKCE) for supported providers
✅ Security-focused HTTP headers (CSP, clickjacking, etc.)
✅ Least-privilege runtime (non-root) for services

Your job: Verify these are working, lock down file permissions, and maintain good operational security practices.