Is OpenClaw safe?

• What data can OpenClaw access?

  Whatever you connect — chat channels, Gmail, GitHub, MCP servers, plus shell/files/browser on the host unless sandboxed. Credentials are stored under ~/.openclaw (config, credentials/, SQLite stores). docs.openclaw.ai · checked Oct 23

• Does OpenClaw ask before sending, buying or deleting?

  Depends on your settings Host commands run only when policy + allowlist + (optional) user approval agree; modes include deny, allowlist, ask, auto and full. docs.openclaw.ai · checked Oct 23

• Can OpenClaw see my passwords?

  Not published OpenClaw Foundation does not state this on the pages we checked.

• Does OpenClaw use my data to train AI models?

  Not clearly stated

  Not published: OpenClaw makes no statement on whether prompts are used for model training. Full quote

  Not published: OpenClaw makes no statement on whether prompts are used for model training. Its site says "Bring hosted, subscription-backed, gateway, or local models" and "State lives on your machine, not a vendor cloud", and that by default an install sends the Foundation "nothing but a daily version check", which you can turn off.

  openclaw.ai · checked Oct 23

• Where does OpenClaw run, and is it isolated?

  Runs on your own machine. Tool sandboxing (Docker, Podman, SSH, OpenShell and other backends) is off by default and set via agents.defaults.sandbox; the Gateway process itself stays on the host. Docs: "not a perfect security boundary". docs.openclaw.ai · checked Oct 23

• How long does OpenClaw keep my data?

  Session transcripts (which can contain private messages and tool output) stay on your machine in ~/.openclaw until you delete them. Docs advise full-disk encryption and 600/700 file permissions. docs.openclaw.ai · checked Oct 23

• Trust model: one gateway is for trusted operators, not a multi-tenant boundary; "anyone who can operate an agent can make it do anything that agent can do". Use separate gateways/hosts for isolation. github.com · checked Oct 23
• Telemetry: a daily update check is on by default and can be turned off; anonymous feature statistics are off by default. docs.openclaw.ai · checked Oct 23
• CVE-2026-25253 (published 2026-02-01): versions before 2026.1.29 took a gatewayUrl from a query string and connected automatically, sending a token. Update to a current release. nvd.nist.gov · checked Oct 22
• Skills from ClawHub are third-party code; Snyk found 283 of 3,984 skills (7.1%) exposing credentials. snyk.io · checked Oct 22

Is OpenClaw safe now?

It depends on your setup. A one-click token-theft bug (CVE-2026-25253) was fixed in 2026.1.29, and Snyk found 283 credential-leaking skills on ClawHub (7.1% of 3,984 scanned). See our Gmail safety guide. snyk.io · checked Oct 23

Is OpenClaw safe in Docker?

Docker helps but is not the default. Sandboxing is off by default; when you enable it, tool execution moves into a sandbox backend such as Docker while the Gateway stays on the host. The docs say it is "not a perfect security boundary" but limits filesystem and process access. docs.openclaw.ai · checked Oct 23

• Is Hermes Agent safe? Hermes Agent vs OpenClaw
• Is Genspark Claw safe? Genspark Claw vs OpenClaw
• Is Meta Muse safe? Meta Muse vs OpenClaw
• Is Grok Bot safe? Grok Bot vs OpenClaw

All alternatives to OpenClaw · Is it safe to connect Gmail to an AI agent? What each vendor says it does · How facts are checked

1. docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/security/secrets-and-storage
2. docs.openclaw.ai/tools/exec-approvals
3. openclaw.ai/
4. docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/sandboxing
5. github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/main/SECURITY.md
6. docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/telemetry
7. nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/cve-2026-25253
8. snyk.io/blog/openclaw-skills-credential-leaks-research/