OpenClaw Skill Permissions Explained: fileRead, fileWrite, network, shell

Updated: 7 min read

OpenClaw skills are powerful because they can read your project, modify files, and call external APIs.

That also means permissions are your main security boundary.

If you do only one thing before installing a new skill: run it through the Skill Verifier and compare it against the Verified Skills catalog.

The 4 permissions (what they really mean)

PermissionWhat it enablesTypical safe useCommon risk
fileReadRead files in your workspaceLinters, analyzers, doc toolsReading .env, keys, secrets
fileWriteCreate/modify filesScaffolding, refactors, codegenSilent backdoors, supply-chain edits
networkOutbound HTTP/DNSFetch docs, call APIs you approveData exfiltration to attacker domain
shellExecute commandsBuilds, test runners, devopsFull RCE under your user account

“Dangerous combos” to recognize fast

These combos are not automatically malicious, but they deserve extra scrutiny:

  • fileRead + network: can read secrets and send them out.
  • fileWrite + network: can download and persist payloads.
  • shell + anything: treat as RCE (sandbox required).
  • All four: maximum blast radius, avoid unless you fully trust the skill.

If you want a simple baseline:

  1. Default to no network.
  2. Default to no shell (or require explicit confirmation for every command).
  3. Prefer skills that only need fileRead (or none).
  4. Run risky skills inside a sandbox: /guides/sandbox-setup

Quick review workflow (30 seconds)

  1. Check the permissions and ask: “Is each permission necessary for the stated purpose?”
  2. If network is requested: require an allowlist (specific domains only).
  3. If shell is requested: sandbox + confirmation.
  4. If anything feels off: do not install. Use an alternative from Verified Skills.

What to do when a skill asks for “too much”

Pragmatic options:

  • Find a less-privileged alternative in /verified-skills.
  • Run it in a sandbox and block network by default.
  • Use it once, then uninstall (don’t keep high-risk skills installed “just in case”).

Next steps