What is the first security check before installing a skill?

Verify source trust: maintainer identity, repository history, and recent update activity.

Can a skill bypass runtime permissions?

No. Skills are instruction layers; actual capability still depends on tool and policy configuration.

What should I do if a skill behaves unexpectedly?

Disable it immediately, rotate related secrets, inspect logs, and re-enable only after root-cause confirmation.

Should teams allow all skills by default?

No. Use least privilege, staged rollout, and approval workflows for high-risk actions.

OpenClaw Security Checklist: 12 Pre-Production Checks

Installing a skill is easy. Installing a skill safely is the real operational skill.

This checklist gives you a practical security flow for OpenClaw Skills before production rollout.

If you are still setting up basics, start with:

TL;DR

Review source trust before enabling any skill.
Map every skill behavior to minimum required capabilities.
Audit scripts/secrets, then monitor runtime and keep rollback ready.

Phase 1: Pre-install source review
Phase 2: Permission and capability review
Phase 3: Script and secret review
Phase 4: Runtime monitoring
Phase 5: Incident response
FAQ
References

Phase 1: Pre-install source review

Before enabling any skill, review source quality:

Maintainer identity is clear and traceable
Repository has recent and legitimate activity
Commit history is coherent (no suspicious mass obfuscation)
Documentation explains scope and limits

Trust decision table

Signal	Low Risk	Medium Risk	High Risk
Maintainer identity	Verified and established	Partially known	Unknown or inconsistent
Repo activity	Stable and recent	Irregular updates	Sudden bursts, unclear changes
Docs quality	Clear scope and guardrails	Basic docs only	Missing or vague docs

If two or more rows are high risk, do not enable in production.

Phase 2: Permission and capability review

Map requested behavior to required capabilities:

File access
Shell execution
Network access
Browser or API connectors

Use least privilege:

Enable only capabilities required for the specific workflow
Require approvals for high-risk actions (shell, destructive file ops, outbound calls)

Capability mapping example

Workflow	Required capability	Should be enabled by default?
Read changelog and summarize	File read	Yes
Execute deployment command	Shell exec	No (approval required)
Pull third-party data	Network outbound	No (domain allowlist recommended)

Phase 3: Script and secret review

Script review checklist

No hidden destructive commands
No unknown external endpoints
No broad wildcard file deletion
No silent background behavior without documentation

Secret handling checklist

No hardcoded secrets in SKILL.md, scripts, or references
Secrets injected via environment or secure config
Secret scope is minimal (least privilege token)
Rotation plan exists for compromised credentials

Reference:

Phase 4: Runtime monitoring

Do not stop at installation. Observe runtime behavior.

Track at least:

Number of failed runs
Number of permission-denied events
Unexpected outbound domains
Repeated retries on the same failing step

Runtime health matrix

Metric	Healthy	Warning	Critical
Failed run ratio	<5%	5-15%	>15%
Permission denials	Rare and expected	Frequent	Frequent and unexplained
Unknown outbound calls	None	1-2 known exceptions	Repeated unknown domains

Phase 5: Incident response

If suspicious behavior appears, execute this sequence:

Disable the skill immediately.
Revoke and rotate related credentials.
Capture logs and timestamps.
Identify root cause (policy, script, dependency, compromise).
Re-enable only with documented remediation.

Example incident snippet

Warning: skill attempted outbound request to unapproved domain
Action: blocked by policy

This is a good failure mode: blocked by policy, observable in logs, and actionable.

Team rollout policy (recommended)

Use staged rollout:

Sandbox test (single operator)
Internal pilot (small team)
Production rollout (with monitoring and rollback plan)

Release gate checklist

Source trust check passed
Capability scope approved
Script and secret review passed
Runtime monitoring dashboard ready
Incident rollback owner assigned

Known limits

A checklist reduces risk but cannot eliminate unknown unknowns.
Third-party ecosystems change quickly; re-audit regularly.
Site-level legal and compliance requirements vary by region and industry.

Next step

Use this checklist before enabling any new skill, and add your own organization-specific controls over time.

Continue with:

FAQ

Why can this page rank well but still get low CTR?

Security queries often need an immediate “what to do now” promise. Put the checklist outcome and install timing in the title/description and first screen.

What should I check first for safe skill installation?

Start with source trust and capability scope. If either is unclear, do not enable in production.