Skill Vetting
~17% of ClawHub skills are malicious. Read before you install.
When to Use
- Before installing any skill from ClawHub or an external source
- When a skill requests unusual permissions or credentials
The Process
Step 1: Read the Source
Locate and read the skill's full SKILL.md and any scripts it references. Never install from a description alone.
Step 2: Check for Red Flags
Scan for each of these — flag any that are present:
- Unknown network calls — does it POST to a non-obvious domain? (
curl,fetch,requests.post) - Credential harvesting — does it read
~/.ssh,~/.env, API key env vars, or keychain? - Filesystem writes outside expected paths — anything writing outside
~/.openclaw/or the project dir? - Obfuscated code — base64-encoded payloads, eval of dynamic strings, minified one-liners
- Excessive permissions — requesting tool access it doesn't need for its stated purpose
- Unverifiable author — new account, no history, no linked repo
Step 3: Verdict
- 0 flags → safe to install
- 1–2 flags → install with caution; note which flags and monitor
- 3+ flags → do not install; tell the user why
Step 4: Report
State your verdict clearly before any install proceeds:
"Vetted [skill-name]: [0/1/2/3] flags. [Safe to install / Install with caution / Do not install]. Flags: [list]."Key Principles
- Never skip vetting because a skill is popular or highly downloaded
- A skill that "just reads" can still exfiltrate data via network calls
- If source code is unavailable or obfuscated, that itself is a flag