Security2026-01-27

Hardening Your OpenClaw Instance: A Security Deep Dive

OpenClaw has shell access, API tokens, and messaging platform connections. Securing it properly is critical. This guide covers practical hardening techniques.

1Configure Firewall Rules

The OpenClaw Gateway should never be exposed directly to the internet. Bind it to localhost and use strict firewall rules to prevent unauthorized access.

# Bind Gateway to localhost
openclaw gateway --bind 127.0.0.1 --port 3777

# UFW rules (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo ufw deny in on eth0 to any port 3777
sudo ufw allow from 127.0.0.1 to any port 3777

# Verify
sudo ufw status verbose

2Run in Docker with Limited Capabilities

For maximum isolation, run OpenClaw inside a Docker container with restricted capabilities. This limits the blast radius if the agent is compromised.

docker run -d \
  --name openclaw \
  --cap-drop ALL \
  --cap-add NET_BIND_SERVICE \
  --security-opt no-new-privileges:true \
  --read-only \
  --tmpfs /tmp \
  -v openclaw-data:/home/openclaw/.openclaw \
  openclaw/openclaw:latest

3Never Store Secrets in Plaintext

Use the encrypted vault for all sensitive data. Avoid environment variables and plaintext config files for API keys and tokens. Regularly rotate credentials.

# Use vault for all secrets
openclaw vault set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY sk-ant-...
openclaw vault set TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN ...

# List stored secrets (names only)
openclaw vault list

# Rotate a key
openclaw vault set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY sk-ant-new-key...

4Set Up Log Monitoring

Enable audit logging and set up alerts for suspicious activity. Monitor for unexpected command executions, failed authentication attempts, and unusual API calls.

# Enable verbose audit logging
openclaw config set logging.audit true
openclaw config set logging.level info

# Stream logs in real-time
openclaw logs --follow --level warn

5Stay Updated

OpenClaw is rapidly evolving, and security patches are released frequently. Subscribe to the GitHub repository's security advisories and update promptly when patches are available.

# Check for updates
npm outdated -g openclaw

# Update to latest
npm update -g openclaw@latest

# Subscribe to security advisories
# https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories

Security is an Ongoing Process

Self-hosted AI agents with system access represent a new category of software with unique security challenges. Treat your OpenClaw instance as privileged infrastructure. Review logs regularly, keep software updated, and always test new skills in a sandbox before deploying to production.