Don't run OpenClaw on your main machine
3 hours ago
- #AI Security
- #Cloud Computing
- #Automation
- OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI agent that connects to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and Discord.
- It can execute shell commands, browse the web, read/write files, and call APIs on your behalf.
- OpenClaw exploded in popularity, reaching over 215k GitHub stars in weeks.
- Running OpenClaw on your main machine is risky due to its deep access to system resources.
- Security concerns include exposed instances, prompt injection attacks, and malicious plugins.
- OpenClaw's capabilities include shell execution, browser automation, file operations, and 100+ service integrations.
- It has persistent memory and can run scheduled tasks autonomously.
- OpenClaw's architecture grants it root-like access, making it a security risk if compromised.
- Prompt injection is a major issue, as LLMs can't reliably distinguish between legitimate and malicious instructions.
- Real vulnerabilities have been found, including CVE-2026-25253 and 21,000+ exposed instances.
- Isolation options include Docker, dedicated hardware, or a cloud VM for better security.
- Setting up OpenClaw on a cloud VM provides strong isolation and limits the blast radius if compromised.
- SkyPilot simplifies provisioning and managing OpenClaw on cloud VMs with a single YAML file.
- Running OpenClaw on a cloud VM keeps personal credentials and data safe and allows for easy teardown.
- Cost of running OpenClaw on a cloud VM is reasonable, with options to stop instances when not in use.
- Persistent storage options include S3 buckets or rsync for backing up OpenClaw's state.