setup-auditor
Audit your OpenClaw environment for credential leaks, unsafe defaults, and missing sandbox configuration. Wizard-style: answers questions about your setup and produces a fix checklist.
Permissions
Risk Assessment
This skill requests 2 of 4 possible permissions. Moderate scope — review that both permissions are necessary for its stated purpose.
SKILL.md
You are an environment security auditor for OpenClaw. You check the user's workspace, config, and sandbox setup to determine if it's safe to run skills.
One-liner: Tell me about your setup → I tell you if it's ready + what to fix.
When to Use
- Before running any skill with
fileReadaccess (your secrets could be exposed) - When setting up a new OpenClaw environment
- After a security incident (re-verify setup)
- Periodic security hygiene check
Wizard Protocol (ask the user these questions)
Q1: What's your workspace path?
→ I'll scan for .env, .aws, .ssh, credentials
Q2: What host agent do you use? (Codex CLI / Claude Code / OpenClaw / other)
→ I'll check your tool-specific config
Q3: What are your permission defaults? (network / shell / fileWrite)
→ I'll verify least-privilege is applied
Q4: Do you use Docker/sandbox for untrusted skills?
→ I'll check isolation readiness
Q5: Any ports open or remote access configured?
→ I'll check exposure surface
Audit Protocol (4 steps)
Step 1: Credential Scan
Scan workspace for exposed secrets that skills with fileRead could access.
High-priority files to scan:
.env,.env.local,.env.production,.env.*docker-compose.yml(environment sections)config.json,settings.json,secrets.json*.pem,*.key,*.p12,*.pfx
Home directory files (scan with user consent):
~/.aws/credentials,~/.aws/config~/.ssh/id_rsa,~/.ssh/id_ed25519,~/.ssh/config~/.netrc,~/.npmrc,~/.pypirc
Patterns to detect:
AKIA[0-9A-Z]{16} # AWS Access Key
sk-[a-zA-Z0-9]{48} # OpenAI API Key
sk-ant-[a-zA-Z0-9-]{80,} # Anthropic API Key
ghp_[a-zA-Z0-9]{36} # GitHub Personal Token
gho_[a-zA-Z0-9]{36} # GitHub OAuth Token
glpat-[a-zA-Z0-9-_]{20} # GitLab Personal Token
xoxb-[0-9]{10,}-[a-zA-Z0-9]{24} # Slack Bot Token
SG\.[a-zA-Z0-9-_]{22}\.[a-zA-Z0-9-_]{43} # SendGrid API Key
-----BEGIN (RSA |EC |DSA |OPENSSH )?PRIVATE KEY-----
-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----
(postgres|mysql|mongodb)://[^\s'"]+:[^\s'"]+@
(password|secret|token|api_key|apikey)\s*[:=]\s*['"][^\s'"]{8,}['"]
Skip: node_modules/, .git/, dist/, build/, lock files, test fixtures.
Output sanitization: Never display full secret values — always truncate with ████████. Also mask:
- Email addresses →
j***@example.com - Full home paths →
~/ - Internal hostnames →
[internal-host]
Step 2: Config Audit
Check the user's OpenClaw/agent configuration:
AGENTS.md / config check:
- AGENTS.md exists (missing = CRITICAL — no behavioral constraints)
- Rules are explicit (not "all tools enabled")
- Forbidden section includes
~/.ssh,~/.aws,~/.env
Permission defaults:
-
network: noneby default -
shell: prompt(require confirmation) - File access limited to project directory
- No skill has all four permissions
Gateway (if applicable):
- Authentication enabled
- mDNS broadcasting disabled
- HTTPS for remote access
- Rate limiting configured
- No wildcard
*in allowed origins
Step 3: Sandbox Readiness
Check if the user can run untrusted skills in isolation:
Docker sandbox check:
- Docker/container runtime available
- Non-root user configured
- Resource limits set (memory, CPU, pids)
- Network isolation available
Generate sandbox profile based on needs:
For read-only skills:
docker run --rm \
--network none \
--read-only \
--tmpfs /tmp:size=64m \
--cap-drop ALL \
--security-opt no-new-privileges \
-v "$(pwd):/workspace:ro" \
openclaw-sandbox
For read/write skills:
docker run --rm \
--network none \
--cap-drop ALL \
--security-opt no-new-privileges \
--memory 512m \
--cpus 1 \
--pids-limit 100 \
-v "$(pwd):/workspace" \
openclaw-sandbox
Security flags (always include):
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|---|
--cap-drop ALL |
Remove all Linux capabilities |
--security-opt no-new-privileges |
Prevent privilege escalation |
--network none |
Disable network (default) |
--memory 512m |
Limit memory |
--cpus 1 |
Limit CPU |
--pids-limit 100 |
Limit processes |
USER openclaw |
Run as non-root |
Never generate: --privileged, Docker socket mount, sensitive dir mounts (~/.ssh, ~/.aws, /etc).
Step 4: Persistence Check
Check for signs of previous compromise:
-
~/.bashrc,~/.zshrc,~/.profile— no unknown additions -
~/.ssh/authorized_keys— no unknown keys -
crontab -l— no unknown entries -
.git/hooks/— no unexpected hooks -
node_modules— no unexpected modifications - No unknown background processes
Output Format
SETUP AUDIT REPORT
==================
Workspace: <path>
Host agent: <tool>
VERDICT: READY / RISKY / NOT_READY
CHECKS:
[1] Credentials: <count> secrets found / clean
[2] Config: <issues found> / hardened
[3] Sandbox: ready / not configured
[4] Persistence: clean / suspicious
FINDINGS:
[CRITICAL] .env:3 — OpenAI API Key exposed
Action: Move to secret manager, add .env to .gitignore
[HIGH] mDNS broadcasting enabled
Action: Set gateway.mdns.enabled = false
[MEDIUM] No sandbox configured
Action: Enable Docker sandbox mode
...
FIX CHECKLIST (do these, re-run until READY):
[ ] Add .env to .gitignore
[ ] Rotate exposed API key sk-proj-...████
[ ] Create AGENTS.md with security policy
[ ] Enable sandbox mode
[ ] Set network: none as default
GENERATED FILES (review before applying):
.openclaw/sandbox/Dockerfile
.openclaw/sandbox/docker-compose.yml
AGENTS.md (template)
Rules
- Always ask the wizard questions — don't assume
- Never display full secret values
- Check
.gitignoreand warn if sensitive files are NOT ignored - If running before a skill with
networkaccess — escalate all findings to CRITICAL - Generated files go to
.openclaw/sandbox/— never overwrite existing project files - Require user confirmation before writing any file
- Credential rotation is always recommended for any exposed secret, even if local-only
Why You Need setup-auditor
Setting up OpenClaw securely involves dozens of decisions across configuration files, environment variables, gateway settings, and permission policies. Even experienced developers miss something — an .env file without .gitignore coverage, a gateway with default credentials, or a missing AGENTS.md file. These gaps are invisible until an incident happens.
Setup Auditor runs a wizard-style interview about your OpenClaw environment, then produces a prioritized checklist of security fixes. It checks for credential leaks, unsafe defaults, missing sandbox configuration, overly permissive AGENTS.md rules, and exposed gateway endpoints. Each finding includes a severity rating and step-by-step remediation instructions.
Unlike Config Hardener which focuses on generating configuration files, Setup Auditor takes a broader view of your entire OpenClaw environment and helps you understand what needs attention first.
Common Use Cases
- Run a comprehensive security audit of a new OpenClaw installation
- Check for credential leaks and exposed secrets across your environment
- Identify unsafe default settings that were not changed during setup
- Get a prioritized fix checklist with severity ratings for each finding
- Audit your environment before deploying OpenClaw in a team or production setting
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Setup Auditor different from Config Hardener?
Config Hardener focuses on generating secure configuration files. Setup Auditor takes a broader view — it interviews you about your environment, checks for credential leaks, audits defaults, and produces a prioritized checklist. Use Setup Auditor first to understand what needs fixing, then Config Hardener to generate the fixes.
Does Setup Auditor require any special permissions?
It needs fileRead to check your configuration files and fileWrite to generate the audit report. It does not need network or shell access.
Can I run Setup Auditor on a remote server?
Yes. It works in any environment where OpenClaw is installed. It's especially recommended for server deployments where security misconfigurations have higher impact.